Located in Fremont County, Wyoming, Fremont Peak is a mountain peak at about 4,177 m (13,704 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Pinedale, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Fremont Peak lies NE of town).
Fremont Peak is the third highest peak in the state of Wyoming, surpassed only by Gannett Peak and Grand Teton, and straddles the boundary between Fremont and Sublette counties in the Wind River Range. It is named for American explorer John C. Frémont who climbed the peak with Charles Preuss and Johnny Janisse from August 13 to August 15, 1842. Kit Carson had been with the climbing party on its first attempt at the peak, but had gone back for supplies the day Fremont and his men reached the summit. Carson is thought by some to have been the first to climb neighboring Jackson Peak. At that time, Fremont Peak was mistakenly thought to be the highest mountain in the Rocky Mountains, although there are actually over 100 higher peaks in the Rocky Mountain range.From the Wikipedia article “Fremont Peak (Wyoming)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fremont Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 56° NE | 9:02 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 122° ESE | 4:47 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:48 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Fremont Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:55 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:51 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:57 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 41 | 40 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 91 | 88 | 83 | 72 | 60 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -31 | -18 | -8 | 7 | 22 | 31 | 29 | 14 | -5 | -24 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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
- 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 Fremont Peak, closest first.
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakGlacier
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
GlacierWilderness Area
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trails End Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Half Moon Lake Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Fremont Lake24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Narrows Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Willow Lake Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fremont Peak?
What time is golden hour at Fremont Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fremont Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fremont Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fremont Peak?
How far is Fremont Peak from Pinedale?
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.