Mt. Lemmon is the best sunset seat in southern Arizona, and it is not close. You drive 27 miles up the west side of the Santa Catalinas, climb 6,782 feet, and end up looking down at the desert and the city lights of Tucson. No haze, no rooftops, no waiting for a parking space downtown. This page has the real sunset times for the mountain, the overlooks that actually face the sunset, and what to do once the light is gone.
Arizona does not change its clocks. The mountain runs on Mountain Standard Time all year, so the times below are the times on your phone — no daylight saving to adjust for. Sunset here lands within a minute of Tucson's, so if you check a weather app in town, that number is good enough to plan around.
Tonight's Sunset Time on Mt. Lemmon
Sunset time is set by the calendar, not the weather, so this table is good any year. It is computed for Summerhaven at 32.4383 N, 110.7592 W.
| Month (mid-month) | Sunset | Last light in the west |
|---|---|---|
| January | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM |
| February | 6:08 PM | 6:34 PM |
| March | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM |
| April | 6:52 PM | 7:18 PM |
| May | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM |
| June | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM |
| July | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM |
| August | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM |
| September | 6:28 PM | 6:53 PM |
| October | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM |
| November | 5:22 PM | 5:48 PM |
| December | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM |
"Last light" is the end of civil twilight, about 27 minutes after sunset — the window when the western horizon still glows and Tucson's lights come up below you.
Earliest and latest
The year's earliest sunset is about 5:17 PM in late November, and the latest is about 7:34 PM in early July.
Times move fast in fall
Sunset slides about a minute a day. September loses the most: from the 1st to the 30th it moves nearly 40 minutes earlier, which catches visitors out. Check the table for the week you are coming, not the month.
Arrive early, not on time
The show is the hour before sunset, not the moment of it. Aim to be parked 30 to 45 minutes early so you are settled before the light turns.
The Best Sunset Spots, in the Order You Reach Them
Here is the thing that surprises first-time visitors: the summit is forest. Once you are in the pines at the top, the horizon is gone. The sunsets on this mountain happen on the way up, where the highway is still above open, west-facing rock. Every one of these stops is free to use.
Babad Do'ag Vista FREE
The first viewpoint you reach, and the easiest one to use: it is wheelchair accessible, and it looks straight out over the desert toward the city. Babad Do'ag is the Tohono O'odham name for Mt. Lemmon — Frog Mountain — and the new wayfinding signs here show campground status and where to pay day-use fees.
One rule to know: no parking here between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. except for hikers. Sunset itself is nowhere near that, so it only matters if you linger very late.
Molino Canyon Vista FREE
A short paved path and a longer gravel one lead out to viewpoints over Molino Canyon. Because you are still low on the mountain, this is one of the few spots where you look almost level at the sunset rather than down on it — and the canyon walls pick up the last orange light.
Thimble Peak Vista and Seven Cataracts Vista FREE
Two pullouts within a mile of each other, and usually far quieter than Windy Point. Thimble Peak is the pointed granite spire to the south; Seven Cataracts looks into Willow Canyon, which only runs with water after rain or snowmelt. Both give you the open western sky with almost nobody else in the frame.
Windy Point Vista FREE THE CLASSIC
This is the one. Windy Point sits about 6,600 feet up on a shelf of hoodoo rock with the whole valley laid out below, and for generations of Tucson families it is the sunset place. There are vault toilets, no fee, and plenty of room to wander out onto the rocks — the ridge formations here are what people climb around on while they wait. Day use only, and no overnight camping.
It also gets busy. On a weekend evening the lot fills, so take the 30 to 45 minutes early seriously and you will get both a parking space and a rock with a view.
Sunset Trail #90 FREE
The mountain has a trail named for exactly this. Sunset Trail #90 has a quiet trailhead right on the highway at about mile 22.5 — its first half mile runs through the residential cabin area on dirt roads before it reaches the forest. Walk 20 or 30 minutes in for a pull-off-free view of the evening sky with nobody standing next to you.
If you start from the Marshall Gulch end instead, note that Marshall Gulch parking is closed until December 15, 2026 during the trailhead rebuild, and that area is closed Mondays through Thursdays; the trails stay open to walkers Friday through Sunday and on federal holidays. Use the new Summerhaven lot and walk in, or start at Mint Springs Trail #20.
The Summit and Ski Valley FORESTED
Worth knowing before you plan around it: at the top you are in the trees. There is no sweeping western horizon at the summit or at Ski Valley, so the drive to the top for sunset usually ends in the pines looking for a gap. Come up here for the stars instead — our stargazing guide covers where to go after dark.
Sunset and Sunrise on Mt. Lemmon: The Gallery
Sunrise and sunset look almost the same in a photograph up here — same low sun, same black treeline, same orange band under a blue sky. The mountain is simply that good at both ends of the day. The labels below follow the photographer's own notes, and the times for both are in the table above.
You do not need a famous overlook to get this. Most of these were shot from the pullouts and picnic areas along the Catalina Highway, or a few steps off a trail — the same sky, with nobody else in the frame.
Why the Sunsets Look Different Up Here
You are above the valley haze
From 6,600 feet you are looking over the dust and heat layer that sits on Tucson in the evening, which is why the horizon line stays sharp instead of going milky. The city lights come up through that same clear air, so the show continues after sunset.
The air is 20 to 30 degrees cooler
The summit runs 20 to 30°F cooler than the base of the mountain. That is exactly why the light is pleasant — and exactly why people shiver through it in shorts. Bring a jacket even in June.
The desert does the lighting
All that open rock and saguaro below you bounces warm light back up at the underside of the clouds. On a night with broken cloud, the whole valley glows orange while the sky above you is still blue.
How the Sunsets Change Through the Year
The mountain has two very different sunset seasons, and it is worth picking between them.
- July and August (monsoon): these are the mountain's wettest months, and the daily build-up of monsoon cloud is what produces the big, painted, lightning-lit sunsets. Unpredictable, but the ceiling is highest here.
- May and June: the clearest, driest evenings of the year. You get clean air, a hard-edged horizon and a long, deep afterglow rather than dramatic cloud.
- Later October into November: the aspen and oak colour is on the mountain at the same time as early sunset — the light arrives while the leaves are still lit, and the drive down happens in full dark.
- December through February: earliest sunsets, coldest air, and the clearest chance of a snow-dusted foreground if you are up here after a storm. Check road conditions first — in winter the gate above Ski Valley closes and the summit becomes unreachable by car.
What to Bring
- A jacket, always. Even on a 100°F day in Tucson, the mountain is 20 to 30 degrees cooler and the temperature drops fast once the sun is down.
- A flashlight or your phone light. The walk back from the rocks at Windy Point or the path at Molino Canyon is uneven and unlit.
- Layers for kids and dogs. Both are welcome at the highway vistas. Our dog-friendly guide covers where dogs can go.
- Dinner plans. If you want to eat before or after, our dining guide has the kitchens in Summerhaven and their hours — some close early, so check before you count on them.
Driving Back Down After Dark
The view keeps giving after sunset: Tucson comes on light by light, and the white "A" on Sentinel Peak is easy to pick out from the highway.
The drive down is the part to think about
The highway is generally open year-round, but it is a mountain road at night: unlit, with drop-offs, tight curves and wildlife. Use low beams when a car comes the other way, watch for deer on the shoulder and for cyclists on the upper switchbacks, and keep well back from the car in front of you.
Before you drive up in winter, call the road hotline on (520) 351-3351. Our road conditions page has the current rules and closures.
Where to Sleep After the Sunset
This is the difference between watching a sunset and staying for one. Mt. Lemmon Hotel is in Summerhaven, at about 8,000 feet and 25 miles up the highway — the closest lodging to the summit and the overlooks. Our 21 private cabins sit in the village, so you can watch the light go from a deck, walk to dinner, and be back out for the stars without driving the mountain road in the dark at all.
Cabins sleep from two to eight, twelve of them are pet-friendly with no pet fee, and every one is a private cabin rather than a hotel room. See the cabins.
Watch the sunset from your own deck
21 private cabins in Summerhaven, 25 miles up the Catalina Highway.
Check Availability Text Us: (520) 277-2478Sunset Questions
What time is sunset on Mt. Lemmon?
It runs from about 7:34 PM in early July to about 5:17 PM in late November, depending on the season — the table above lists it month by month. Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year, so there is no daylight saving shift to account for, and the mountain's sunset time is within a minute of Tucson's.
Where is the best place to watch the sunset on Mt. Lemmon?
Windy Point Vista at about mile 14 is the classic: free, about 6,600 feet up, with vault toilets and room on the rocks. Babad Do'ag Vista at about mile 2.6 is the easiest and is wheelchair accessible, and Thimble Peak and Seven Cataracts vistas at miles 8 to 9 are the quiet alternatives. All of them are on the way up — the summit itself is in thick forest with no open horizon.
Do I need a pass or day-use fee to watch the sunset?
No. The highway vistas — Windy Point, Babad Do'ag, Molino Canyon, Thimble Peak, Seven Cataracts and Aspen Vista — are free, and driving the byway costs nothing. The $8 per vehicle day pass applies only at developed sites like the Mount Lemmon Day Use Area, Molino Basin and Marshall Gulch picnic areas, and Palisades Visitor Center.
Can I stay at an overlook after dark?
No overnight camping at the vistas. Windy Point is day use only, and at Babad Do'ag there is no parking from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. except for hikers. The sunset and the afterglow are both well inside those windows, so it only affects you if you plan to sleep in the car. Overnight options are the forest campgrounds or a cabin in Summerhaven.
Is it safe to drive back down after sunset?
The highway is generally open year-round and is plowed to Summerhaven in winter. It is unlit, so slow down, use low beams for oncoming traffic, and watch for deer and cyclists. In winter the gate above Ski Valley closes, which puts the summit area out of reach by car. Call the road hotline on (520) 351-3351 before a winter trip.
What should I bring to a Mt. Lemmon sunset?
A jacket even in summer, since the mountain is 20 to 30 degrees cooler than Tucson and drops fast after sundown; a flashlight or phone light for the walk back over uneven rock at Windy Point; and water. If you are staying the night, our cabins in Summerhaven are the closest lodging to the overlooks.
Sunset times are computed for Summerhaven, Arizona (32.4383 N, 110.7592 W) in Mountain Standard Time, which Arizona observes year-round. Mile markers, fees, parking rules and closure dates come from Coronado National Forest publications and orders; conditions change with weather, construction and fire season, so confirm before you drive. Road information hotline: (520) 351-3351. Ranger district: (520) 749-8700.