Mount Rose Wilderness — a wilderness area in Washoe County, Nevada — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Incline Village, about 12.0 km (7.5 mi) away (Mount Rose Wilderness lies NNE of town).
The Mt. Rose Wilderness is a protected wilderness area in the Carson Range of Washoe County, in the northwestern U.S. state of Nevada. It is located between Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada. The Mt. Rose Wilderness, including Mount Rose, covers an area of approximately 31,223 acres (12,635 ha), and is administered by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The area was protected in 1989. Mount Rose Wilderness has been home to the Washoe Tribe for over 400 generations. It is an ecological transition and is in between the Sierra Nevada's Carson Range and the Great Basin. There are different plants native to both regions. The elevation of the protected area is from 5,800 feet (1,800 m) in West Reno to 10,776 feet (3,285 m) at the peak of Mount Rose.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Rose Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Rose Wilderness 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) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:31 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 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 Mount Rose Wilderness, 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 | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 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 ≈ 20.71 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% 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 | 70 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 101 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 89 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 5 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 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 wilderness area
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Mount Rose Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Beach
LakeHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mount Rose (Nv) 4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Boca Spring16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Boca Rest Campground16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Boca Campground16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Boyington Mill17.8 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Rose Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Mount Rose Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Rose Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Rose Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Rose Wilderness?
How far is Mount Rose Wilderness from Incline Village?
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.