Naomi Peak is a mountain peak in Cache County, Utah at about 3,041 m (9,977 ft) above sea level. It is part of Mount Naomi Wilderness. The nearest town is Richmond, about 11.5 km (7.1 mi) away (Naomi Peak lies E of town).
Naomi Peak, or Mount Naomi, is the highest peak in the Bear River Range in northern Utah and southern Idaho, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Naomi Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Naomi 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 57° ENE | 9:06 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 122° ESE | 4:59 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Naomi Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:07 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.38 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 53 | 53 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 97 | 93 | 89 | 80 | 65 | 50 |
| Low °F | -19 | -23 | -4 | 4 | 18 | 25 | 37 | 35 | 22 | 1 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Naomi Peak, closest first.
Lake
Wilderness Area
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
Cave
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tony Grove Day Use3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Tony Grove Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Smithfield Campground8.0 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Lewis M. Turner Campground (Ut)9.1 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Red Banks Campground9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Naomi Peak?
What time is golden hour at Naomi Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Naomi Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Naomi Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Naomi Peak?
How far is Naomi Peak from Richmond?
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.