Tahquitz Peak — a mountain peak in Riverside County, California at about 2,658 m (8,720 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Idyllwild, about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away (Tahquitz Peak lies ENE of town).
Tahquitz Peak (pronounced , sometimes ) is a granite, 8,846-foot-tall (2,696 m) rock formation located on the high western slope of the San Jacinto mountain range in Riverside County, Southern California, United States, above the mountain town of Idyllwild. Tahquitz has a steep approach hike (approximately 800-foot elevation gain in a half mile), leading to a roughly 1000-foot face. Tahquitz, which can refer to both the rock outcrop and the outcrop's parent peak, is a popular hiking destination to the fire lookout station and the rock climbing area. The Yosemite Decimal System, widely used in North America to classify hiking and climbing routes, was developed into its modern form at Tahquitz Peak.From the Wikipedia article “Tahquitz Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tahquitz 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) | 6:48 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 | 7:06 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 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 | 5:37 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 | 6:10 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 | 6:17 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 Tahquitz 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 ≈ 20.01 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
- 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 Tahquitz Peak, closest first.
National Forest
State Park
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
CanyonWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Marion Mountain6.5 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Fern Basin6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Dark Canyon Campground 7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain (San Bernardino)10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Basin10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tahquitz Peak?
What time is golden hour at Tahquitz Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tahquitz Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tahquitz Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tahquitz Peak?
How far is Tahquitz Peak from Idyllwild?
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.