Mount Darwin — a mountain peak in Fresno County, California at about 4,204 m (13,793 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) SW of West Bishop.
Mount Darwin is a flat-topped mountain in the Sierra Nevada, on the border of between Fresno and Inyo counties in Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness of California.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Darwin (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Darwin the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:19 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 119° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Darwin, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 4:01 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:25 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.78 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Darwin, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Lake
Lake
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Table Mountain (Inyo)10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Bishop Park Group11.0 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Bishop Park Campground (Ca)11.0 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Forks Campground (Inyo)12.8 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Four Jeffrey14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Darwin?
What time is golden hour at Mount Darwin?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Darwin?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Darwin?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Darwin?
How far is Mount Darwin from West Bishop?
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.