Twin Peaks is a mountain peak in Tuolumne County, California at about 3,718 m (12,198 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Yosemite National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, about 43 km (27 mi) away (Twin Peaks lies NNE of town).
Twin Peaks is a mountain in the northern part of Yosemite National Park, north of Tuolumne Meadows. It is the 15th highest mountain in Yosemite National Park.From the Wikipedia article “Twin Peaks (Yosemite)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Twin Peaks 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 75° in summer but only 28° 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) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:24 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 39m |
| 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Twin Peaks, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:06 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: 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 ≈ 21.75 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Twin Peaks, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Lake
Mountain Peak
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Green Creek Group7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Trumbull Lake9.1 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Lower Twin Lakes At Bridgeport10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Crags Campground11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Paha11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Twin Peaks?
What time is golden hour at Twin Peaks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Twin Peaks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Twin Peaks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Twin Peaks?
How far is Twin Peaks 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.