Located in Kern County, California, Double Mountain is a mountain peak at about 2,430 m (7,972 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 11.5 km (7.1 mi) SSW of Tehachapi.
Double Mountain is the highest point in the Tehachapi Mountains of California. It has two summits of nearly the same elevation. It is south of the town of Tehachapi, Highway 58 and Tehachapi Pass. Due to its elevation, the mountain receives snowfall during the winter.From the Wikipedia article “Double Mountain (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Double 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 60° ENE | 8:12 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 119° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Double Mountain, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:10 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 12:17 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.72 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 13% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 83 | 82 | 89 | 96 | 108 | 112 | 112 | 111 | 111 | 101 | 90 | 80 |
| Low °F | 22 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 36 | 39 | 51 | 49 | 42 | 35 | 24 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Double Mountain, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Double Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Double Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Double Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Double Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Double Mountain?
How far is Double Mountain from Tehachapi?
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.