Dunderberg Peak — a mountain peak in Mono County, California at about 3,774 m (12,382 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Hoover Wilderness. It sits roughly 45 km (28 mi) NE of Yosemite Valley.
Dunderberg Peak is located east of the Sierra Nevada crest near the divide between the Mono Basin and East Walker River basin (Conway Summit) in Mono County, in eastern California in the southwestern United States. The peak is in the Hoover Wilderness and is the highest point in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Dunderberg Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dunderberg Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:24 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 31m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Dunderberg Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | 4:55 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 61 | 66 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 98 | 93 | 92 | 83 | 71 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | -6 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Dunderberg Peak, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
LakeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trumbull Lake2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Lower Virginia Creek Primitive Campground4.2 km (2.6 mi)
- Green Creek Group5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Saddlebag Lake Trailhead Group Camp11.2 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Crags Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dunderberg Peak?
What time is golden hour at Dunderberg Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dunderberg Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dunderberg Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dunderberg Peak?
How far is Dunderberg Peak from Yosemite Valley?
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.