Located in Los Angeles County, California, Throop Peak is a mountain peak at about 2,779 m (9,117 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 15.3 km (9.5 mi) W of Wrightwood.
Throop Peak ( TROOP) is a 9,142 feet (2,786 m) peak of the San Gabriel Mountains, in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest, in Los Angeles County, California. The high peak provides views of both the Mojave Desert and the Los Angeles Basin all the way to the ocean. The peak was named for Amos G. Throop, founder of Caltech, formerly called Throop College. The peak marks the northwestern boundary of the Sheep Mountain Wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Throop Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Throop 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) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 61° ENE | 8:07 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 118° ESE | 4:46 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Throop 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 | 4:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:41 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:21 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: 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 ≈ 19.55 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (44%). 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 | 77 | 82 | 87 | 93 | 103 | 110 | 111 | 109 | 109 | 98 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 40 | 33 | 24 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
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.
- 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 Throop Peak, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Waterfall
CanyonCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Jackson Flats1.1 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Deer Group Camp4.1 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Crystal Lake4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Southfork Campground5.4 km (3.3 mi)
- Sycamore Flat Campground7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Throop Peak?
What time is golden hour at Throop Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Throop Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Throop Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Throop Peak?
How far is Throop Peak from Wrightwood?
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.