Sutter Buttes — a volcano in Sutter County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Sutter, about 8.9 km (5.5 mi) away (Sutter Buttes lies NW of town).
The Sutter Buttes (Maidu: Histum Yani or Esto Yamani, Wintun: Olonai-Tol, Nisenan: Estom Yanim) are a small circular complex of eroded volcanic lava domes which rise as buttes above the flat plains of the Sacramento Valley in Sutter County, northern California. They are situated just outside Yuba City in the northern part of the state's Central Valley. These remnants of a dormant volcano are colloquially referred to as the world's smallest mountain range. The Sutter Buttes have as their highest point the summit of South Butte, at 2,122 ft (647 m), which is also the highest point in Sutter County. Land was designated as a state park in 2003 after the California State Park system acquired property on the North of the buttes. It has yet to be named officially and is not open to the public as the appropriate classification of park resources is still being decided by property...From the Wikipedia article “Sutter Buttes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sutter Buttes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Sutter Buttes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 74 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 100 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 108 | 99 | 85 | 69 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 39 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 31 | 14 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 7.2 |
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 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Sutter Buttes, closest first.
Waterfall
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sutter Buttes?
What time is golden hour at Sutter Buttes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sutter Buttes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sutter Buttes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sutter Buttes?
How far is Sutter Buttes from Sutter?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.