Table Mountain is a mountain peak in Skamania County, Washington at about 1,027 m (3,369 ft) above sea level. It is part of Table Mountain Natural Resources Conservation Area. It sits roughly 7.6 km (4.7 mi) WNW of Cascade Locks.
Table Mountain is a peak rising on the north side of the Columbia River in Washington state, about 4 miles (6.4 km) north-northwest of Bonneville Dam. It is one of the most spectacular landmarks of the Columbia River Gorge. Its southeast face drops 2,400 feet (730 m) in less than one horizontal mile (1.6 km.), and is topped by an almost vertical 800-foot (240 m) cliff. Table Mountain is joined by the similar Greenleaf Peak to the northeast, and also by Hamilton Mountain to the southwest, which is lower, (2,438 ft or 743 m), but similarly steep and much closer to the Columbia. Together these peaks form an impressive group on the Washington side of the Gorge. Between 1425 and 1450 AD the south side of Table Mountain sheared off and dammed the Columbia River in an event known as the Bonneville Slide. The river soon carved a new bend around to the south, but for a while Native Americans...From the Wikipedia article “Table Mountain (Skamania County, Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Table Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 54° NE | 9:02 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:27 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:32 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Table Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:13 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.17 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Table Mountain, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
State Park
Hot Spring
Rock FormationHot SpringWaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Creek Campground7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Panther Creek Campground16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Wyeth Campground16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Campground18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Table Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Table Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Table Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Table Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Table Mountain?
How far is Table Mountain from Cascade Locks?
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.