Located in Clark County, Nevada, Charleston Peak is a mountain peak at about 3,600 m (11,811 ft) above sea level. It is part of Mount Charleston Wilderness. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) ENE of Pahrump.
Mount Charleston, including Charleston Peak (Nuvagantu, literally "where snow sits", in Southern Paiute or Nüpakatütün in Shoshoni) at 11,916 feet (3,632 m), is the highest mountain in both the Spring Mountains and Clark County, in Nevada, United States. It is the eighth-highest mountain in the state. Well separated from higher peaks by large, low basins, Charleston Peak is the most topographically prominent peak in Nevada, and the eighth-most-prominent peak in the contiguous United States. It is one of eight ultra-prominent peaks in Nevada. It is located about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Las Vegas within the Mount Charleston Wilderness, which is within the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area of the Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Charleston”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Charleston 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 300° (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) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 60° ENE | 8:04 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 119° ESE | 4:32 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:03 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:30 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Charleston Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 3:54 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:19 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.17 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 82 | 89 | 100 | 107 | 106 | 105 | 103 | 91 | 79 | 68 |
| Low °F | 8 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 31 | 38 | 55 | 51 | 37 | 20 | 19 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Charleston Peak, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
CanyonCanyonCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mcwilliams4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Foxtail Grp Picnic Area4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Cathedral Rock Picnic Area4.9 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Fletcher View7.3 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Kyle Canyon Picnic Area Day Use8.0 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Charleston Peak?
What time is golden hour at Charleston Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Charleston Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Charleston Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Charleston Peak?
How far is Charleston Peak from Pahrump?
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.