Lassen Peak is a mountain peak in Shasta County, California at about 3,150 m (10,335 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Lassen Volcanic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Chester, about 31 km (19 mi) away (Lassen Peak lies NW of town).
Lassen Peak ( LASS-ən), commonly referred to as Mount Lassen, is a 10,457-foot (3,187 m) lava dome volcano in Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. Located in the Shasta Cascade region above the northern Sacramento Valley, it is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range of the Western United States, and part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc stretching from southwestern British Columbia to Northern California. It supports many flora and fauna among its diverse habitats, which reach high elevations and are subject to frequent snowfall. Lassen Peak has a volume of 0.6 cu mi (2.5 km3), making it the largest lava domes on Earth. The volcano arose from the former northern flank of now-eroded Mount Tehama about 27,000 years ago, from a series of eruptions over the course of a few years. The mountain has been significantly eroded by glaciers over the last 25,000...From the Wikipedia article “Lassen Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lassen Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:41 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 121° ESE | 4:43 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Lassen Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 14% 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 | 59 | 64 | 65 | 74 | 88 | 94 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | -1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 21 | -2 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 7.1 |
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.
- 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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lassen Peak, closest first.
Volcano
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Southwest Campground - Winter/Spring6.2 km (3.8 mi)
- Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins (Ca)6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Manzanita Lake Group Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Manzanita Lake6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Summit Lake North6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lassen Peak?
What time is golden hour at Lassen Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lassen Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lassen Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lassen Peak?
How far is Lassen Peak from Chester?
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.