Mount Konocti is a mountain peak in Lake County, California at about 1,307 m (4,288 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Soda Bay, about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) away (Mount Konocti lies SE of town).
Mount Konocti is a volcano in Lake County, California on the south shore of Clear Lake. At 4,305 feet (1,312 m), it is the second highest peak in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, which consists of numerous volcanic domes and cones ranging from 10,000 to 2.1 million years old. Although it is often described as extinct, it is actually classified by the USGS as High Threat Potential. Clear Lake Volcanic Field's alert level is currently classified as Normal.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Konocti”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Konocti 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:41 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 120° ESE | 4:53 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Konocti, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:21 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.74 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 87 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 107 | 112 | 103 | 87 | 71 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 42 | 48 | 48 | 45 | 37 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 6.2 |
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.
- 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 Konocti, closest first.
State Park
Lake
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Konocti?
What time is golden hour at Mount Konocti?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Konocti?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Konocti?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Konocti?
How far is Mount Konocti from Soda Bay?
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.