Located in Pima County, Arizona, Sentinel Peak is a mountain peak at about 881 m (2,890 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Saguaro National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is South Tucson, about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away (Sentinel Peak lies WNW of town).
Sentinel Peak is a 2,897 ft (900 m) peak in the Tucson Mountains southwest of downtown Tucson, Arizona, United States. The valley's first inhabitants grew crops at the mountain's base, along the Santa Cruz River. The name "Tucson" is derived from the O'odham Cuk Ṣon ([tʃʊk ʂɔːn]), meaning "the base [of the mountain] is black". In the 1910s, University of Arizona students used local basalt rock to construct a 160 ft (50 m) tall block "A" on the mountain's east face, near its summit, giving the peak its other name, "A" Mountain. The peak is part of a 272-acre (110 hectares) park, the largest natural resource park in the City of Tucson.From the Wikipedia article “Sentinel Peak (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sentinel Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:29 AM | 90° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 62° ENE | 7:34 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:13 AM | 89° E | 6:22 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 118° ESE | 5:24 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 02m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:11 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:56 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 03m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Sentinel Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:04 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:59 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.3 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:59 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:14 PM – 3:34 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:10 PM – 2:10 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:54 PM – 10:04 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:14 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.63 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 76 | 83 | 90 | 97 | 106 | 111 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 77 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 32 | 38 | 49 | 64 | 61 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this mountain peak
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sentinel Peak, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Canyon
Mountain Pass
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Canyon
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Cactus Ramada 220 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Cactus Ramada 120 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sentinel Peak?
What time is golden hour at Sentinel Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sentinel Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sentinel Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sentinel Peak?
How far is Sentinel Peak from South Tucson?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.