The Craters is a volcano in Washoe County, Nevada at about 1,913 m (6,276 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Alturas, about 52 km (32 mi) away (The Craters lies ESE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The Craters the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 57° ENE | 8:37 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:34 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 12m |
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 The Craters, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:30 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:38 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:46 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 7:52 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 7.5+ 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 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 61 | 63 | 74 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 103 | 97 | 95 | 86 | 69 | 56 |
| Low °F | -16 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 37 | 27 | 16 | 4 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 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 volcano
- 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.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 The Craters, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph The Craters?
What time is golden hour at The Craters?
Where does the sun rise and set at The Craters?
Can you see the Milky Way from The Craters?
Do you need a permit to photograph at The Craters?
How far is The Craters from Alturas?
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.