Gannett Peak — a mountain peak in Fremont County, Wyoming at about 4,207 m (13,802 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 39 km (24 mi) NNE of Pinedale.
Gannett Peak is the highest mountain peak in the U.S. state of Wyoming at 13,810 ft (4,210 m). It lies in the Wind River Range within the Bridger Wilderness of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Straddling the Continental Divide along the boundary between Fremont and Sublette counties, it has the second greatest topographic prominence in the state (7,076 ft; 2,157 m) after Cloud Peak (7,077 ft; 2,157 m), and is the highest ground for 290.36 mi (467.29 km) in any direction.From the Wikipedia article “Gannett Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gannett 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 | 9:03 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:24 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 | 7:32 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 | 9:09 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 22m |
| 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 32m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:42 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 | 8:31 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Gannett Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 | 5:01 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:05 AM – 4:45 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:08 AM – 3:48 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 3:11 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 1:59 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:53 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:48 PM | 0.7 | 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
- 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 Gannett Peak, closest first.
Glacier
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
GlacierMountain PeakGlacier
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trails End Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Green River Lake Lodge22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Green River Lakes - Bridger-Teton Nf (Wy)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Narrows Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- New Fork Lake Group Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gannett Peak?
What time is golden hour at Gannett Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gannett Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gannett Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gannett Peak?
How far is Gannett 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.