Located in Clallam County, Washington, Goblins Gate is a canyon. It lies in or next to Olympic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) SSW of Port Angeles.
Goblins Gate, or Goblin Gates, is a narrow gorge, about 20 feet (6.1 m) across, on the Elwha River in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Olympic National Park where the Elwha River enters Rica Canyon, 8.9 kilometres (5.5 mi) east-southeast of Olympic Hot Springs. Toponymist Smitty Parratt described Goblins Gate: "...the Elwha River swerves at a severe right angle and tumbles into an extremely narrow cliffside opening. Resembling two large gates such as might have been found on a medieval castle, the rock portals appear to reach out and suck the waters of the Elwha into their grasp, only to send them plummeting down a precipitous canyon in a headlong rush to sea level."From the Wikipedia article “Goblins Gate”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goblins Gate the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 53° NE | 9:18 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 126° SE | 4:24 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:57 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 24m |
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 Goblins Gate, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:50 AM – 4:20 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:52 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:31 AM – 1:51 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:57 PM – 12:57 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 10:55 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.52 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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 canyon
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Goblins Gate, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Glacier
Glacier
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Deer Park Campground23 km (15 mi)
- Fairholme Campground28 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Hoh Rainforest Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goblins Gate?
What time is golden hour at Goblins Gate?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goblins Gate?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goblins Gate?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goblins Gate?
How far is Goblins Gate from Port Angeles?
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.