Mount Allison — a mountain peak in Alameda County, California at about 793 m (2,602 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Milpitas, about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) away (Mount Allison lies NNE of town).
Mount Allison is a peak of the Diablo Range, located in the East Bay southeast of Fremont, California.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Allison”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Allison 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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:33 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:54 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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 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 Mount Allison, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:18 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 74 | 77 | 85 | 95 | 108 | 110 | 116 | 113 | 114 | 103 | 89 | 71 |
| Low °F | 22 | 27 | 29 | 32 | 39 | 43 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Mount Allison, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Lake
Ghost Town
Canyon
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
National Wildlife RefugeCanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Allison?
What time is golden hour at Mount Allison?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Allison?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Allison?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Allison?
How far is Mount Allison from Milpitas?
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.