Charles Mound — a mountain peak in Jo Daviess County, Illinois at about 376 m (1,234 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.7 km (4.8 mi) S of Shullsburg.
Charles Mound is a gentle, 1,235-foot (376 m) high hill located in Scales Mound Township, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of the small town of Scales Mound, and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Galena. Despite its name, Charles Mound is a naturally occurring, erosional feature and is not to be confused with the intentional mounds created by native cultures. It is the highest natural point in the state and is thus considered a state highpoint. It is the lowest state highpoint in the Midwestern region of the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Charles Mound”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Charles Mound the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 57° ENE | 8:43 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 122° ESE | 4:32 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 05m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Charles Mound, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:35 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:39 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.48 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 50 | 68 | 77 | 82 | 91 | 99 | 106 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -35 | -19 | -17 | 11 | 27 | 39 | 46 | 44 | 33 | 22 | 2 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 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
- 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 Charles Mound, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Charles Mound?
What time is golden hour at Charles Mound?
Where does the sun rise and set at Charles Mound?
Can you see the Milky Way from Charles Mound?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Charles Mound?
How far is Charles Mound from Shullsburg?
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.