Located in Orange County, California, Modjeska Peak is a mountain peak at about 1,641 m (5,384 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Trabuco Canyon, about 7.6 km (4.7 mi) away (Modjeska Peak lies NNE of town).
Modjeska Peak is the northern mountain of the Saddleback landform in Orange County California. It is the second-highest peak of the Santa Ana Mountains, after Santiago Peak, whose summit is less than 0.6 mi (0.97 km) to the northwest. Modjeska lies within Cleveland National Forest and, despite being shorter than Santiago, has a smaller peak without manmade structures to obstruct views of the Pacific Ocean and San Gabriel Mountains. The peak is named after the Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska, who lived in Modjeska Canyon (on the western foot of the mountain) near the end of her life.From the Wikipedia article “Modjeska Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Modjeska Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 61° ENE | 8:05 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 118° ESE | 4:46 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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 | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Modjeska Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:41 PM – 4:11 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:47 PM – 3:47 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.1 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August 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 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 35 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 38 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Modjeska Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Canyon
WaterfallCanyonCanyonCanyon
CanyonCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Modjeska Peak?
What time is golden hour at Modjeska Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Modjeska Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Modjeska Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Modjeska Peak?
How far is Modjeska Peak from Trabuco Canyon?
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.