Located in Los Angeles County, California, San Gabriel Peak is a mountain peak at about 1,868 m (6,129 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.7 km (4.2 mi) NNE of Altadena.
San Gabriel Peak is a summit in the San Gabriel Mountains in the U.S. state of California. It was named by the United States Geological Survey in 1894 and is located in the Angeles National Forest. This peak was first named The Commodore for Commodore Perry Switzer.From the Wikipedia article “San Gabriel Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At San Gabriel Peak 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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:08 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 53m |
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 San Gabriel Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:25 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.57 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 San Gabriel Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Coulter Group Campground11.5 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Group Campground11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Chilao Campground - Little Pines Loop11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Bandido Group Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Lightning Point Group Campground16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph San Gabriel Peak?
What time is golden hour at San Gabriel Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at San Gabriel Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from San Gabriel Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at San Gabriel Peak?
How far is San Gabriel Peak from Altadena?
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.