Bishop Peak — a mountain peak in San Luis Obispo County, California at about 455 m (1,493 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is San Luis Obispo, about 4.0 km (2.5 mi) away (Bishop Peak lies WNW of town).
Bishop Peak is a 1,546-foot (471 m) volcanic plug in San Luis Obispo, California. It is the tallest of the Morros or "Nine Sisters", a chain of similar peaks stretching to Morro Bay. Often said to take its name from its resemblance to a bishop's miter, it is named in homage to the town's name (San Luis Obispo). "Obispo" is the Spanish word for Bishop.From the Wikipedia article “Bishop Peak (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bishop Peak 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 60° ENE | 8:22 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 119° ESE | 4:55 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Bishop Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:55 AM – 4:55 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:07 PM – 3:57 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.24 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 81 | 78 | 84 | 95 | 98 | 105 | 106 | 105 | 109 | 100 | 89 | 78 |
| Low °F | 25 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 40 | 43 | 50 | 49 | 47 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.6 |
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
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Bishop Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bishop Peak?
What time is golden hour at Bishop Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bishop Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bishop Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bishop Peak?
How far is Bishop Peak from San Luis Obispo?
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.