Located in Blaine County, Idaho, Snowyside Peak is a mountain peak at about 3,249 m (10,659 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sun Valley, about 56 km (35 mi) away (Snowyside Peak lies WNW of town).
Snowyside Peak, at 10,651 feet (3,246 m) above sea level, is the fifth-highest peak in the Sawtooth Range of the U.S. state of Idaho. The peak is located in the Sawtooth Wilderness of Sawtooth National Recreation Area at the intersection of Blaine, Custer County, and Elmore counties. It is the highest point in Elmore County. The peak is located 5.1 miles (8.2 km) south of Mount Cramer, its line parent. It is the 217th-highest peak in Idaho.From the Wikipedia article “Snowyside Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Snowyside Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 56° NE | 9:27 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:12 AM | 123° ESE | 5:06 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:01 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:34 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 55m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Snowyside Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:33 AM – 6:13 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:34 AM – 4:04 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:50 PM – 3:30 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 2:06 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:31 PM – 10:01 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 45 | 50 | 63 | 75 | 86 | 94 | 98 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 64 | 45 |
| Low °F | -21 | -16 | -8 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 35 | 33 | 24 | 6 | -29 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Snowyside Peak, closest first.
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWilderness AreaMountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Alturas Lake Inlet8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- North Shore Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Smokey Bear Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Pettit Lake Campground9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Snowyside Peak?
What time is golden hour at Snowyside Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Snowyside Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Snowyside Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Snowyside Peak?
How far is Snowyside Peak from Sun 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.