Bunker Hill is a mountain peak in Lander County, Nevada at about 3,431 m (11,257 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Fallon, about 144 km (90 mi) away (Bunker Hill lies E of town).
Bunker Hill is the highest mountain in Lander County, within the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada, United States. It is the twenty-second highest mountain in the state. The peak is located within the Austin Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, about 17 miles south of the small town of Austin and just northwest of the small town of Kingston.From the Wikipedia article “Bunker Hill (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bunker Hill the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 58° ENE | 8:19 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 120° ESE | 4:29 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:04 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Bunker Hill, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:32 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 11:56 PM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 7:51 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 65 | 70 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 101 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 84 | 74 | 59 |
| Low °F | -2 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 42 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 1 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Bunker Hill, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bunker Hill?
What time is golden hour at Bunker Hill?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bunker Hill?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bunker Hill?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bunker Hill?
How far is Bunker Hill from Fallon?
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.