Olancha Peak — a mountain peak in Inyo County, California at about 3,634 m (11,923 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Inyo National Forest. It sits roughly 38 km (24 mi) S of Lone Pine.
Olancha Peak is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada of California. It rises to an elevation of 12,132 feet (3,698 m) on the Tulare-Inyo county line in the South Sierra Wilderness. It takes its name from the nearby town of Olancha. The mountain is also known as "Indianhead" and "the Sleeping Maiden", as some think that parts of the ridgeline of the southern slope of the mountain, when viewed from certain angles, resembles either the face of a man or the figure of a woman lying on her back. The peak is one of the highest in the Sierra Nevada south of Mount Whitney. It is the southernmost peak that is significantly above treeline on the Sierra Nevada escarpment. Due to the high elevation, most of the precipitation the mountain receives consists of snow.From the Wikipedia article “Olancha Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Olancha Peak 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 300° (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 | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 60° ENE | 8:14 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 119° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Olancha Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 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 | 4:40 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:53 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:56 PM – 2:16 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:19 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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 ≈ 21.71 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 Olancha Peak, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Hot Spring
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Olancha Peak?
What time is golden hour at Olancha Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Olancha Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Olancha Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Olancha Peak?
How far is Olancha Peak 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.