Located in Alpine County, California, Sonora Peak is a mountain peak at about 3,484 m (11,430 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 44 km (27 mi) SSW of Topaz Ranch Estates.
Sonora Peak is a mountain in the Central Sierra Nevada of California north of Sonora Pass. Located on the boundary between Alpine and Mono counties, it is the highest point in Alpine County. Due to the high elevation, most of the precipitation this mountain receives consists of snow.From the Wikipedia article “Sonora Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sonora Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:26 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Sonora Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 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 March as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 61 | 66 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 98 | 93 | 92 | 83 | 71 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | -6 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 22 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Sonora Peak, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfall
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Leavitt Meadows7.3 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Deadman Campground10.7 km (6.7 mi)
- Baker Campground10.9 km (6.8 mi)
- Eureka Valley Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi)
- Sonora Bridge13.4 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sonora Peak?
What time is golden hour at Sonora Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sonora Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sonora Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sonora Peak?
How far is Sonora Peak from Topaz Ranch Estates?
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.