Located in Mono County, California, Mono Craters is a volcano at about 2,768 m (9,081 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Mono Craters lies N of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mono Craters the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:22 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Mono Craters, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:08 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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 volcano
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mono Craters, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Volcano
Lake
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Canyon
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Oh Ridge9.4 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- June Lake10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Gull Lake Campground12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Reversed Creek Campground12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca)13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mono Craters?
What time is golden hour at Mono Craters?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mono Craters?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mono Craters?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mono Craters?
How far is Mono Craters from Mammoth Lakes?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.