Mount Linn is a mountain peak in Tehama County, California at about 2,468 m (8,097 ft) above sea level. It is part of Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness. The nearest town is Rancho Tehama Reserve, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Mount Linn lies W of town).
Mount Linn, at 8,098 feet (2,468 m), is the easternmost summit of South Yolla Bolly Mountain, and is located in the Yolla Bolly Mountains of the Northern Coast Ranges and sibling Klamath Mountains System, in Tehama County, northwestern California. Mt. Linn is the highest peak in the northern California Coast Ranges south of the Trinity Alps and, along with the highest peaks of the Trinity Alps, the tallest coastal range peak within the coterminous forty-eight states. Mt. Linn is the third most prominent peak in the northern Pacific Coast Ranges behind Mt. Eddy and Caesar Peaks in the Trinity Alps and Mt. Olympus of Washington's Olympic Mountains. Mt. Linn is protected within the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest section.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Linn”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Linn the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 58° ENE | 8:45 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 121° ESE | 4:50 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 19m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Linn, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 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 July as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 83 | 89 | 101 | 112 | 118 | 114 | 111 | 102 | 86 | 69 |
| Low °F | 14 | 21 | 24 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 50 | 40 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.0 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 8.3 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Linn, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Green Springs Campground9.5 km (5.9 mi)
- General Campgrounds & Trailheads19.0 km (11.8 mi)
- Sugar Spring Campground20 km (13 mi)
- Howard Meadows Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Post Creek Guard Station22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Linn?
What time is golden hour at Mount Linn?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Linn?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Linn?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Linn?
How far is Mount Linn from Rancho Tehama Reserve?
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.