Mount Burnham is a mountain peak in Los Angeles County, California at about 2,740 m (8,990 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Wrightwood, about 13.6 km (8.5 mi) away (Mount Burnham lies W of town).
Mount Burnham is one of the highest peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains. It is in the Sheep Mountain Wilderness. It is named for Frederick Russell Burnham the famous American military scout who taught Scoutcraft (then known as woodcraft) to Robert Baden-Powell and became one of the inspirations for the founding of the Boy Scouts. Mount Burnham was officially recognized by the USGS at a dedication ceremony in 1951. It was original known as (West Twin) "North Baldy Mountain". The peak is within Los Angeles County, about 16 miles (26 km) north of Glendora, and 66 miles (106 km) from Los Angeles. In 1956, Mount Burnham was added to the list of Signature Summits by the Hundred Peaks Section of the Sierra Club.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Burnham”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Burnham 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 61° ENE | 8:07 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 118° ESE | 4:46 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Burnham, 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 5 (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 | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:41 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (44%). 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 | 77 | 82 | 87 | 93 | 103 | 110 | 111 | 109 | 109 | 98 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 40 | 33 | 24 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Burnham, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Ghost Town
CanyonCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Jackson Flats1.7 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- Southfork Campground5.4 km (3.4 mi)
- Deer Group Camp6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Mountain Oak6.2 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Lake Campground6.3 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Burnham?
What time is golden hour at Mount Burnham?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Burnham?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Burnham?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Burnham?
How far is Mount Burnham from Wrightwood?
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.