Located in Duchesne County, Utah, Mount Agassiz is a mountain peak at about 3,735 m (12,254 ft) above sea level. It is part of Wasatch–Cache National Forest. It sits roughly 39 km (24 mi) ENE of Kamas.
Mount Agassiz is a peak in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah with an elevation of 12,433 feet (3,790 m). It is located in the High Uintas Wilderness and the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The summit is named in honor of Louis Agassiz, a well-known paleontologist, glaciologist and geologist.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Agassiz (Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Agassiz 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) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 58° ENE | 8:59 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 121° ESE | 5:00 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Mount Agassiz, 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 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:51 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:43 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:15 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 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 38% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 45 | 51 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 88 | 93 | 90 | 85 | 76 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -35 | -20 | -2 | 2 | 20 | 32 | 28 | 16 | -2 | -15 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Mount Agassiz, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Butterfly Campground3.8 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Mirror Lake5.2 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Mirror Lake Guard Station5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Moosehorn5.9 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Christmas Meadows Campground9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Agassiz?
What time is golden hour at Mount Agassiz?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Agassiz?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Agassiz?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Agassiz?
How far is Mount Agassiz from Kamas?
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.