Ruby Dome is a mountain peak in Elko County, Nevada at about 3,428 m (11,247 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Spring Creek, about 14.9 km (9.3 mi) away (Ruby Dome lies SE of town).
Ruby Dome is the highest mountain in both the Ruby Mountains and Elko County, in Nevada, United States. It is the twenty-seventh-highest mountain in the state, and also ranks as the thirteenth-most topographically prominent peak in the state. The peak is located about 21 miles (34 km) southeast of the city of Elko within the Ruby Mountains Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The mountain rises from a base elevation of about 6,000 feet (1,800 m) to a height of 11,387 feet (3,471 m). It is the highest mountain for over 90 miles in all directions.From the Wikipedia article “Ruby Dome”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ruby Dome the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 58° ENE | 8:17 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 121° ESE | 4:19 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:47 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Ruby Dome, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 3:24 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 1:41 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 9:35 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 7:34 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 62 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 92 | 98 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 70 | 54 |
| Low °F | -18 | -6 | -1 | 15 | 19 | 27 | 42 | 40 | 26 | 8 | -8 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Ruby Dome, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Lake
Canyon
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Lake
Wilderness Area
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Thomas Canyon6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Powerhouse Group Picnic Area7.0 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Terraces Campground - Picnic Area9.1 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ruby Dome?
What time is golden hour at Ruby Dome?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ruby Dome?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ruby Dome?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ruby Dome?
How far is Ruby Dome from Spring Creek?
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.