Birch Mountain — a mountain peak in Inyo County, California at about 4,134 m (13,563 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Inyo National Forest. It sits roughly 16.2 km (10.1 mi) SW of Big Pine.
Birch Mountain, or Paokrung (Northern Paiute for "Mountain of Stone"), is one of the fifty highest peaks of California. Of the major peaks of the Palisades, it stands farthest from the Sierra Crest. Judging by its few summit register entries, it is climbed far less than its nearby fourteener neighbors on the crest. But its placement on the Sierra Peaks Section list adds to its appeal to peak baggers, and its low technical demand makes it a rewarding ski mountaineering destination.From the Wikipedia article “Birch Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Birch Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 60° ENE | 8:18 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 119° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 38m |
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 Birch Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:51 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:02 PM – 2:12 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -14 | -3 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 31 | 20 | 9 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Birch Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Mountain Pass
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Pine Creek Campground7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Upper Sage Flat7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Big Pine Canyon7.3 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Goodale Creek Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Table Mountain (Inyo)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Birch Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Birch Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Birch Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Birch Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Birch Mountain?
How far is Birch Mountain from Big Pine?
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.