Mount Mallory is a mountain peak in Inyo County, California at about 4,148 m (13,609 ft) above sea level. It is part of Sequoia National Park. The nearest town is Lone Pine, about 18.8 km (11.7 mi) away (Mount Mallory lies WSW of town).
Mount Mallory is a mountain located in the Sierra Nevada of California. The boundary between Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Park runs across the summit. The peak was named in memory of George H. Leigh Mallory, of the 1924 British Mount Everest expedition, who was lost on Mount Everest, June, 1924. Norman Clyde advanced Mallory's and Andrew Irvine's names following their loss after attaining the highest altitude reached by a mountain climber.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Mallory”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Mallory the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 60° ENE | 8:15 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:02 AM | 119° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:39 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Mallory, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 3:55 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:04 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.5 | 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 81 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
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.
- 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 Mallory, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Whitney Portal5.4 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Lone Pine8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Tuttle Creek Campground12.3 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Grays Meadows25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Onion Valley26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Mallory?
What time is golden hour at Mount Mallory?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Mallory?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Mallory?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Mallory?
How far is Mount Mallory from Lone Pine?
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.