Matterhorn is a mountain peak in Elko County, Nevada at about 3,250 m (10,663 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 112 km (70 mi) SW of Twin Falls.
Matterhorn is the highest mountain in the Jarbidge Mountains of northern Elko County, Nevada, United States. It is the fifteenth-most topographically prominent peak in the state. The summit is located in the Jarbidge Wilderness, which is administered by the Jarbidge Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Its name is derived from the Matterhorn in the Alps of Europe, due mainly to the cliffs located immediately adjacent to the summit on the north and northeast.From the Wikipedia article “Matterhorn (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Matterhorn 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 57° ENE | 8:21 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 122° ESE | 4:14 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:44 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Matterhorn, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:12 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 3:20 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 1:29 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 9:27 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 55 | 58 | 71 | 78 | 90 | 95 | 99 | 93 | 91 | 82 | 66 | 49 |
| Low °F | -17 | -8 | -3 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 36 | 36 | 24 | 7 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.5 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Matterhorn, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Cottonwood Campground25 km (15 mi)
- The Forks Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Juniper Grove Campground26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Matterhorn?
What time is golden hour at Matterhorn?
Where does the sun rise and set at Matterhorn?
Can you see the Milky Way from Matterhorn?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Matterhorn?
How far is Matterhorn from Twin Falls?
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.