San Jacinto Peak — a mountain peak in Riverside County, California at about 3,288 m (10,787 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. It sits roughly 8.9 km (5.5 mi) NNE of Idyllwild-Pine Cove.
San Jacinto Peak ( SAN hə-SIN-toh, - jə-, - yə-; often designated Mount San Jacinto; colloquially known as San J, San Jack and just Jacinto) is a 10,834 ft (3,302 m) peak in the San Jacinto Mountains, in Riverside County, California. Lying within Mount San Jacinto State Park it is the highest both in the range and the county, and serves as the southern border of the San Gorgonio Pass. San Jacinto Peak is one of the most topographically prominent peaks in the United States, and is ranked the sixth most prominent peak in the 48 contiguous states. According to John W. Robinson and Bruce D. Risher, authors of The San Jacintos, "No Southern California hiker worth his salt would miss climbing 'San Jack' at least once." Known for its spectacular north escarpment, the peak rises over 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above San Gorgonio Pass. It plays host to the famous Cactus to Clouds Trail.From the Wikipedia article “San Jacinto Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At San Jacinto 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 118° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Jacinto 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | 4:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:36 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 4:08 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:19 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:37 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.16 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (41%). 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 | 84 | 90 | 94 | 100 | 109 | 117 | 118 | 115 | 115 | 104 | 92 | 82 |
| Low °F | 26 | 28 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Jacinto Peak, closest first.
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
National Forest
Waterfall
Canyon
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dark Canyon Campground 5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Marion Mountain5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain (San Bernardino)5.9 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Fern Basin6.2 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Basin7.0 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph San Jacinto Peak?
What time is golden hour at San Jacinto Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at San Jacinto Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from San Jacinto Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at San Jacinto Peak?
How far is San Jacinto Peak from Idyllwild-Pine Cove?
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.