Triple Divide Peak — a mountain peak in Madera County, California at about 3,533 m (11,591 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Ansel Adams Wilderness. The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Triple Divide Peak lies ESE of town).
Triple Divide Peak is a mountain on the boundary between Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness in Madera County, California. It is located 0.7 miles (1.1 km) north of Walton Lake and 1.3 miles (2.1 km) southeast of Merced Peak. Its name refers to the fact that it lies on the boundaries of three distinct watersheds, namely those of the Merced, South Fork Merced, and San Joaquin rivers.From the Wikipedia article “Triple Divide Peak (Madera County, California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Triple Divide 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 59° ENE | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 120° ESE | 4:43 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Triple Divide Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 | 4:55 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Triple Divide Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakGlacier
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Lake
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Upper Pines Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- North Pines Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Lower Pines Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Bridalveil Creek Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Camp 424 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Triple Divide Peak?
What time is golden hour at Triple Divide Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Triple Divide Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Triple Divide Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Triple Divide Peak?
How far is Triple Divide Peak from Yosemite 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.