Laurel Mountain — a mountain peak in Mono County, California at about 3,604 m (11,824 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Inyo National Forest. It sits roughly 10.4 km (6.5 mi) SE of Mammoth Lakes.
Laurel Mountain is a peak in Mono County, California. It lies in the Sherwin Range of the Sierra Nevada and is in the Inyo National Forest and the John Muir Wilderness. It reaches a height of 11,818 feet (3,602 m) and is largely composed of metamorphic rock caused by contact with an intruding pluton in the late Cretaceous.From the Wikipedia article “Laurel Mountain (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Laurel Mountain 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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:21 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Laurel Mountain, 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 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:07 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.61 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -14 | -3 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 31 | 20 | 9 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Laurel Mountain, closest first.
LakeMountain Peak
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Lake
LakeWaterfall
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Convict Lake Campground4.1 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Sherwin Creek6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Mcgee Creek9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Coldwater Campground - Inyo Nf (Ca)9.6 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Pine Glen9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Laurel Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Laurel Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Laurel Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Laurel Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Laurel Mountain?
How far is Laurel Mountain 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.