Located in Clark County, Nevada, Mount Wilson is a mountain peak at about 2,121 m (6,959 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 14.1 km (8.8 mi) W of Summerlin South.
Mount Wilson is a mountain located in the Spring Mountain range of southern Nevada. It is located on land managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management as the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, part of the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Area. It is the highest peak in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Mount Wilson is 17 miles (27 km) west of downtown Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Wilson (Clark County, Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Wilson 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) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 60° ENE | 8:03 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 119° ESE | 4:32 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:03 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:30 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Mount Wilson, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:36 AM – 4:36 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 3:52 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:08 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.3 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Mount Wilson, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Rock Canyon Campground9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Kyle Canyon Picnic Area Day Use22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway Group Picnic Sites22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Fletcher View22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cathedral Rock Picnic Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Wilson?
What time is golden hour at Mount Wilson?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Wilson?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Wilson?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Wilson?
How far is Mount Wilson from Summerlin South?
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.