Located in El Paso County, Texas, North Franklin Mountain is a mountain peak at about 2,186 m (7,172 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 10.1 km (6.3 mi) SE of Westway.
North Franklin Mountain (or North Franklin Peak) is a mountain in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, Texas, located in the Southwestern United States. North Franklin, at 7,192 feet (2,192 m), is the highest point in El Paso, and the 27th-highest mountain in the state of Texas. Surrounded by a state park and with a maintained trail leading to its summit, the mountain is a popular hiking destination. The eastern slope extends into Castner Range National Monument.From the Wikipedia article “North Franklin Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At North Franklin Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 62° ENE | 8:16 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 118° ESE | 5:07 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 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 | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 05m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 North Franklin Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 4:30 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:54 PM – 4:14 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:51 PM – 2:51 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:50 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:46 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:46 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 19.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 108 | 108 | 106 | 100 | 94 | 85 | 74 |
| Low °F | 20 | 6 | 19 | 29 | 37 | 55 | 60 | 60 | 48 | 27 | 20 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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 North Franklin Mountain, closest first.
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph North Franklin Mountain?
What time is golden hour at North Franklin Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at North Franklin Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from North Franklin Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at North Franklin Mountain?
How far is North Franklin Mountain from Westway?
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.