Roxy Ann Peak is a mountain peak in Jackson County, Oregon at about 1,089 m (3,573 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Medford, about 8.1 km (5.0 mi) away (Roxy Ann Peak lies ENE of town).
Roxy Ann Peak, also known as Roxy Ann Butte, is a 3,576-foot-tall (1,090 m) mountain in the Western Cascade Range at the eastern edge of Medford, Oregon. Composed of several geologic layers, the majority of the peak is of volcanic origin and dates to the early Oligocene epoch. It is primarily covered by oak savanna and open grassland on its lower slopes, and mixed coniferous forest on its upper slopes and summit, stopping short of the summit. Despite the peak's relatively small topographic prominence of 753 feet (230 m), it rises 2,200 feet (670 m) above Medford and is visible from most of the Rogue Valley. The mountain is Medford's most important viewshed, open space reserve, and recreational resource.From the Wikipedia article “Roxy Ann Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Roxy Ann Peak 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 57° ENE | 8:52 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 122° ESE | 4:42 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Roxy Ann Peak, 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 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:44 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 | 10:53 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 11:51 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:48 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: 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 ≈ 20.01 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Roxy Ann Peak, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Hot Spring
Covered Bridge
WaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Roxy Ann Peak?
What time is golden hour at Roxy Ann Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Roxy Ann Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Roxy Ann Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Roxy Ann Peak?
How far is Roxy Ann Peak from Medford?
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.