Located in Mendocino County, California, Anthony Peak is a mountain peak at about 2,115 m (6,939 ft) above sea level. It is part of Mendocino National Forest. The nearest town is Covelo, about 25 km (16 mi) away (Anthony Peak lies ENE of town).
Anthony Peak is a mountain located in the Mendocino National Forest north of Mendocino Pass and is part of the Northern Coast Ranges of Mendocino County, California, approximately 16 miles (26 km) NE of Covelo. The summit is the highest point in Mendocino County, and averages 61.8 inches at peak snow pack depth annually. The rare endemic wildflower known as Anthony Peak lupine (Lupinus antoninus) was named for this peak. The peak was probably named for James Anthony, who owned a farm in the Round Valley district in 1874.From the Wikipedia article “Anthony Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anthony Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 58° ENE | 8:44 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 121° ESE | 4:51 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 22m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Anthony Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:34 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 79 | 90 | 103 | 111 | 116 | 113 | 110 | 102 | 88 | 72 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 42 | 35 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.8 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 6.6 |
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
- 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.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Anthony Peak, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Howard Meadows Campground4.3 km (2.6 mi)
- Sugar Spring Campground4.4 km (2.7 mi)
- General Campgrounds & Trailheads10.1 km (6.3 mi)
- Green Springs Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi)
- Masterson Group Campground15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anthony Peak?
What time is golden hour at Anthony Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anthony Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anthony Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anthony Peak?
How far is Anthony Peak from Covelo?
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.