Located in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska, Margerie Glacier is a glacier at about 607 m (1,991 ft) above sea level. It is part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The nearest town is Juneau, about 176 km (109 mi) away (Margerie Glacier lies WNW of town).
Margerie Glacier is a 21 mi (34 km) long tidewater glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska, United States within the boundaries of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The glacier begins on the southern slopes of Mount Root, elevation 12,860 feet (3,920 m), on the Alaska–Canada border flowing southeast down the valley, then turning to the northeast toward its terminus in Tarr Inlet. Margerie Glacier is one of the most active and frequently-visited glaciers in Glacier Bay, which was declared a National Monument in 1925, a National Park and Preserve in 1980, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 1986 and a World Heritage Site in 1992. While most of the tidewater glaciers in the park have been receding over the last several decades, Margerie Glacier has become stable, neither growing nor receding, while Johns Hopkins Glacier is advancing.From the Wikipedia article “Margerie Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Margerie Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 37° (NE) at the June solstice and 139° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 323° (NW) in June to 222° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 8° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:56 AM | 37° NE | 10:26 PM | 323° NW | 54° | 18h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 88° E | 7:10 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:02 AM | 139° SE | 3:13 PM | 222° SW | 8° | 6h 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
Ice shows its blue best under overcast skies or in shade; bright sun turns glaciers white and flat.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:59 AM | 8:49 AM | 10:15 AM | 2:22 PM | 3:48 PM | 4:39 PM | 6h 59m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:02 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 20m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:18 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 5:11 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 28m |
| May | 3:39 AM | 4:39 AM | 5:43 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:33 PM | 16h 55m |
| June | 2:32 AM | 3:57 AM | 5:11 AM | 9:09 PM | 10:23 PM | 11:49 PM | 18h 27m |
| July | 3:12 AM | 4:22 AM | 5:32 AM | 8:59 PM | 10:08 PM | 11:18 PM | 17h 46m |
| August | 4:40 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 30m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 52m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:44 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 17m |
| November | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 9:16 AM | 2:32 PM | 3:47 PM | 4:34 PM | 7h 45m |
| December | 8:03 AM | 8:58 AM | 10:42 AM | 1:27 PM | 3:12 PM | 4:06 PM | 6h 14m |
Local time (America/Juneau), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 43 | 41 | 44 | 47 | 54 | 68 | 69 | 68 | 60 | 51 | 46 | 42 |
| Low °F | -3 | 0 | -2 | 15 | 28 | 35 | 40 | 43 | 37 | 21 | 5 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 17.8 | 14.5 | 11.6 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 7.1 | 8.7 | 13.2 | 18.8 | 20.2 | 19.7 | 20.0 |
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 glacier
- Include a person or boat for scale — glaciers are much larger than they look.
- Boat tours to tidewater glaciers offer calving shots; use fast shutter speeds and a telephoto.
- Never walk on a glacier without training and gear; crevasses hide under snow bridges.
- Expose carefully: ice and snow fool meters into underexposure, so add +1 to +2 stops.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Summer offers access; late summer exposes the most bare ice before new snow.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Polarizer, Waterproof shell, Spare batteries (cold drains them). Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Margerie Glacier, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
GlacierFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Margerie Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Margerie Glacier?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Margerie Glacier?
How far is Margerie Glacier from Juneau?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.