Located in Park County, Wyoming, Younts Peak is a mountain peak at about 3,691 m (12,110 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 88 km (55 mi) SW of Cody.
Younts Peak is a peak in the Absaroka Range in northwestern Wyoming in the United States and the highest point in the Teton Wilderness. The Yellowstone River is formed near the peak from two streams that rise on the northern and southern ridges of the peak and join at the base of the western ridge. The peak summit itself can be hiked, but accessing the peak is difficult due to its remoteness. The peak was named after Harry Yount, a hunter and guide considered to be the first ranger in Yellowstone National Park.From the Wikipedia article “Younts Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Younts Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 56° NE | 9:07 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 123° ESE | 4:45 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Younts Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:08 AM – 4:48 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:29 PM – 3:09 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:15 PM – 1:45 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:40 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 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 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Younts Peak, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Younts Peak?
What time is golden hour at Younts Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Younts Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Younts Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Younts Peak?
How far is Younts Peak from Cody?
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.