Mount McLoughlin — a mountain peak in Jackson County, Oregon at about 2,895 m (9,498 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 40 km (25 mi) E of Eagle Point.
Mount McLoughlin is a 9,493 ft (2,893 m) dormant steep-sided stratovolcano, or composite volcano, in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon, United States. Located in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, it is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, within the High Cascades sector. A prominent landmark for the Rogue River Valley, the mountain is north of Mount Shasta, and south-southwest of Crater Lake. It was named around 1838 after John McLoughlin, a Chief Factor for the Hudson's Bay Company. Mount McLouglin's prominence has made it a landmark to Native Americans and others for thousands of years.From the Wikipedia article “Mount McLoughlin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount McLoughlin 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 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 57° ENE | 8:51 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 122° ESE | 4:40 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 05m |
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 McLoughlin, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:52 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:46 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 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 July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 69 | 80 | 92 | 101 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 37 | 35 | 29 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 6.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Mount McLoughlin, closest first.
Lake
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Waterfall
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fish Lake Campground - Rogue River5.6 km (3.5 mi) · reservable
- Doe Point Campground5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Fourmile Lake Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Willow Prairie Horsecamp7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Willow Prairie Cabin7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount McLoughlin?
What time is golden hour at Mount McLoughlin?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount McLoughlin?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount McLoughlin?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount McLoughlin?
How far is Mount McLoughlin from Eagle Point?
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.