Grapevine Peak — a mountain peak in Nye County, Nevada at about 2,662 m (8,734 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Death Valley National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Beatty, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Grapevine Peak lies W of town).
Grapevine Peak is the highest mountain in the Grapevine Mountains of Nye County in Nevada, United States. It is the fourth-most topographically prominent peak in Nye County and ranks seventeenth among the most topographically prominent peaks in Nevada. The peak is located within the boundaries of Death Valley National Park.From the Wikipedia article “Grapevine Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grapevine 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 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 60° ENE | 8:12 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 119° ESE | 4:36 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 38m |
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 Grapevine Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:23 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:54 PM – 3:54 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:03 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:18 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:10 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 76 | 78 | 86 | 93 | 103 | 111 | 110 | 110 | 105 | 96 | 82 | 72 |
| Low °F | 17 | 21 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 59 | 55 | 43 | 26 | 21 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 Grapevine Peak, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grapevine Peak?
What time is golden hour at Grapevine Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grapevine Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grapevine Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grapevine Peak?
How far is Grapevine Peak from Beatty?
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.