Mount Spokane is a mountain peak in Spokane County, Washington at about 1,784 m (5,853 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 18.7 km (11.6 mi) WSW of Spirit Lake.
Mount Spokane [elevation 5,887 feet (1,794 m)]—previously known as Mount Baldy until 1912 due to its pronounced bald spot—is a mountain in the northwest United States, located northeast of Spokane, Washington. Its summit is the highest point in Spokane County, and it is one of the tallest peaks in the Inland Northwest. Mount Spokane is surrounded by Mount Spokane State Park, Washington's largest at 13,919 acres (56.3 km2). One of the well-known features is a bald spot on the corner of the west and south parts of the mountain. Mount Kit Carson—the second highest peak in Spokane County—is located only 1.02 miles (1.64 km) to the east, and with a topographic prominence of only 322 feet (98 m) could be considered a satellite peak of Mount Spokane. A non-profit organization operates the Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park, located on the southwest portion of the mountain.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Spokane”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Spokane the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:50 AM | 53° NE | 8:52 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 125° SE | 3:59 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:27 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:34 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:08 AM | 4:50 AM | 5:38 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:31 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 4:26 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:10 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:03 PM | 3:57 PM | 4:33 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Mount Spokane, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:26 AM – 2:36 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:05 AM – 1:25 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:31 PM – 12:31 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 10:29 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.25 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 53 | 56 | 69 | 82 | 90 | 102 | 100 | 101 | 96 | 84 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -19 | -12 | -7 | 23 | 26 | 35 | 42 | 43 | 29 | 11 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
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
- 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 Mount Spokane, closest first.
Fire Lookout
State Park
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Spokane?
What time is golden hour at Mount Spokane?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Spokane?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Spokane?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Spokane?
How far is Mount Spokane from Spirit Lake?
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.