Telescope Peak is a mountain peak in Inyo County, California at about 3,369 m (11,053 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Death Valley National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Death Valley, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Telescope Peak lies WSW of town).
Telescope Peak (Timbisha: Chiombe) is the highest point within Death Valley National Park, in the U.S. state of California. It is also the highest point of the Panamint Range, and lies in Inyo County. From atop this desert mountain one can see for over one hundred miles in many directions, including west to Mount Whitney, and east to Charleston Peak. The mountain was named for the great distance visible from the summit.From the Wikipedia article “Telescope Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Telescope 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) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 60° ENE | 8:10 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:56 AM | 119° ESE | 4:38 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Telescope 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 | 4:36 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:51 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:12 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:09 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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 76 | 78 | 86 | 93 | 103 | 111 | 110 | 110 | 105 | 96 | 82 | 72 |
| Low °F | 17 | 21 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 59 | 55 | 43 | 26 | 21 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Telescope Peak, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Telescope Peak?
What time is golden hour at Telescope Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Telescope Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Telescope Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Telescope Peak?
How far is Telescope Peak from Death Valley?
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.