University Peak is a mountain peak in Inyo County, California at about 4,105 m (13,468 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Lone Pine, about 31 km (19 mi) away (University Peak lies WNW of town).
University Peak is a thirteener in the Sierra Nevada. It is named for the University of California. It is on the Sierra crest between Mount Gould to the north, and Mount Bradley to the south. It lies on the boundary between Tulare County and Inyo County. Its west side is in Kings Canyon National Park while the east face is in the John Muir Wilderness. The nearest trailhead to University Peak is Onion Valley. The least technical route to its summit is an off-trail hike up the south slopes. It offers a variety of other routes from easy scrambles to rock climbing. The more challenging routes led the Sierra Club's Sierra Peaks Section to list University Peak as a Mountaineers Peak.From the Wikipedia article “University Peak (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At University 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 301° (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) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 60° ENE | 8:16 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 119° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 40m |
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 University Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 4:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 3:56 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:06 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 2:10 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:21 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.81 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 February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 81 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 |
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.
- 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.
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 University Peak, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Onion Valley3.3 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Grays Meadows6.3 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Whitney Portal21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Lone Pine23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Moraine Campground (Ca)27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph University Peak?
What time is golden hour at University Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at University Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from University Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at University Peak?
How far is University Peak from Lone Pine?
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.