Koip Peak — a mountain peak in Mono County, California at about 3,954 m (12,972 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Ansel Adams Wilderness. The nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Koip Peak lies NW of town).
Koip Peak is a 12,968-foot-elevation (3,953-meter) summit in Mono County, California, in the United States. It is located in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, on land managed by Inyo National Forest. It is approximately 0.25 miles (0.40 km) outside of Yosemite National Park's eastern boundary, and 1.0 mile (1.6 km) west of Parker Peak. Koip is derived from a Western Numic name meaning "mountain sheep". Bighorn sheep roam in the area.From the Wikipedia article “Koip Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Koip 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 76° 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) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Koip 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 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:05 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 ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Koip Peak, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Canyon
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca)7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Oh Ridge11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Gull Lake Campground11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Reversed Creek Campground11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- June Lake11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Koip Peak?
What time is golden hour at Koip Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Koip Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Koip Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Koip Peak?
How far is Koip Peak from Mammoth Lakes?
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.