Castle Peak — a mountain peak in Nevada County, California at about 2,773 m (9,098 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Tahoe National Forest. It sits roughly 14.9 km (9.3 mi) WNW of Truckee.
Castle Peak is a mountain in California's Sierra Nevada near I-80, Donner Pass, and the Nevada border. It is in the Tahoe National Forest not far off the Pacific Crest Trail, and adjacent to Castle Pass. It was originally named Mount Stanford, after Leland Stanford, by the Whitney Survey of 1860–1874. The peak takes its name from its conical shape. On February 17, 2026, Castle Peak was the site of a deadly avalanche in which nine skiers were killed.From the Wikipedia article “Castle Peak (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Castle Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:03 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.36 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 67 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 102 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | 0 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 27 | 39 | 38 | 27 | 21 | -1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 7.9 |
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
- 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 Castle Peak, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Lake
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Mountain PassScenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sagehen Creek Campground11.0 km (6.8 mi)
- Meadow Lake Shoreline Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi)
- Hampshire Rocks14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Granite Flat (California)14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Lakeside (Truckee)15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Peak?
What time is golden hour at Castle Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Peak?
How far is Castle Peak from Truckee?
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.