Mount Pinos is a mountain peak in Ventura County, California at about 2,686 m (8,812 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Pine Mountain Club, about 3.9 km (2.4 mi) away (Mount Pinos lies S of town).
Mount Pinos () (Samala: 'Iwɨhɨnmu) is a 8,847-foot (2,697 m) mountain in the Los Padres National Forest in the US state of California. Located on the boundary between Ventura and Kern counties, it is the highest point in Ventura County, the highest point of the Transverse Ranges west of Tejon Pass, and the southernmost point of the Salinian Block.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Pinos”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Pinos 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) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 61° ENE | 8:14 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 118° ESE | 4:50 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Pinos, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:52 PM – 4:12 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:54 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:19 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 93 | 99 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 43 | 48 | 50 | 42 | 37 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Pinos, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mt. Pinos Campground4.1 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Mcgill Campground And Group Campground4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Campo Alto Campground5.7 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Chuchupate Campground13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Reyes Creek Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Pinos?
What time is golden hour at Mount Pinos?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Pinos?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Pinos?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Pinos?
How far is Mount Pinos from Pine Mountain Club?
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.