Mono–Inyo Craters is a mountain peak in Mono County, California. It is part of Inyo National Forest. The nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Mono–Inyo Craters lies N of town).
The Mono–Inyo Craters are a volcanic chain of craters, domes and lava flows in Mono County, Eastern California, United States. The chain stretches 25 miles (40 km) from the northwest shore of Mono Lake to the south of Mammoth Mountain. The Mono Lake Volcanic Field forms the northernmost part of the chain and consists of two volcanic islands in the lake and one cinder cone volcano on its northwest shore. Most of the Mono Craters, which make up the bulk of the northern part of the Mono–Inyo chain, are phreatic (steam explosion) volcanoes that have since been either plugged or over-topped by rhyolite domes and lava flows. The Inyo volcanic chain form much of the southern part of the chain and consist of phreatic explosion pits, and rhyolitic lava flows and domes. The southernmost part of the chain consists of fumaroles and explosion pits on Mammoth Mountain and a set of cinder cones...From the Wikipedia article “Mono–Inyo Craters”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mono–Inyo Craters 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 | 8:22 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| 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 | 4:41 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 | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Mono–Inyo Craters, 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.5 | 19° | 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 | 10:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:10 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 | 7:47 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Mono–Inyo Craters, closest first.
Volcano
Ghost TownVolcano
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Mountain Pass
Canyon
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Oh Ridge11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- June Lake13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Gull Lake Campground14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Reversed Creek Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca)15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mono–Inyo Craters?
What time is golden hour at Mono–Inyo Craters?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mono–Inyo Craters?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mono–Inyo Craters?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mono–Inyo Craters?
How far is Mono–Inyo Craters from Mammoth Lakes?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.