Paulina Peak — a mountain peak in Deschutes County, Oregon at about 2,429 m (7,969 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The nearest town is La Pine, about 20 km (12 mi) away (Paulina Peak lies E of town).
Paulina Peak is a summit in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. Formed by the Newberry Volcano, it is part of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. At an elevation of 7,984 feet (2,434 m), it is the highest point on the volcano. The peak gives a panoramic view of the Newberry Caldera, the south and west flanks of the Newberry Volcano, the Cascades, the Fort Rock Basin, and central Oregon. The Cascade Range can be seen extending into California (Mount Shasta) and Washington (Mount Adams) from the peak on a clear sunny day. Depending on weather and road conditions, the peak is typically accessible to visitors from early July until late October/early November.From the Wikipedia article “Paulina Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Paulina Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 56° NE | 8:51 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Paulina Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 2:52 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 1:39 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 9:35 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 59 | 61 | 72 | 79 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 71 | 55 |
| Low °F | -16 | -5 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 16 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
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
- 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 Paulina Peak, closest first.
Volcano
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
VolcanoVolcano
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chief Paulina Horse Camp1.6 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- Newberry Group Camp Site1.9 km (1.2 mi) · reservable
- Little Crater Campground2.7 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Paulina Lake Campground3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- East Lake Campground4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Paulina Peak?
What time is golden hour at Paulina Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Paulina Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Paulina Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Paulina Peak?
How far is Paulina Peak from La Pine?
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.