Wind River Peak is a mountain peak in Sublette County, Wyoming at about 3,999 m (13,120 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Lander, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Wind River Peak lies WSW of town).
Wind River Peak (13,197 feet (4,022 m)) is the highest point in the southern end of the Wind River Range that is located in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The peak straddles the Continental Divide and is surrounded by National Forest lands. The west slopes are in the Bridger Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest, while the east side is in the Popo Agie Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest. In a cirque on the northeast slopes of the peak lies Wind River Glacier.From the Wikipedia article “Wind River Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wind River Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 56° ENE | 8:59 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Wind River 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:53 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:52 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:59 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 15° | 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 40% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 43 | 50 | 62 | 72 | 84 | 89 | 94 | 91 | 87 | 74 | 60 | 45 |
| Low °F | -24 | -30 | -9 | 2 | 15 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 19 | -3 | -18 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Wind River Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Canyon
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Sandy Campground11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Dutch Joe Campground16.1 km (10.0 mi)
- Worthen Meadow Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi)
- Blucher Creek Campground16.3 km (10.1 mi)
- Sweetwater Guard Station Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wind River Peak?
What time is golden hour at Wind River Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wind River Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wind River Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wind River Peak?
How far is Wind River Peak from Lander?
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.