Portage Glacier is a glacier in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 256 m (840 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 30 km (18 mi) SE of Girdwood.
Portage Glacier is a glacier on the Kenai Peninsula of the U.S. state of Alaska and is included within the Chugach National Forest. It is located south of Portage Lake and 6 km (4 mi) west of Whittier. Portage Glacier was a local name first recorded in 1898 by Thomas Corwin Mendenhall of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, so called because it is on a portage route between Prince William Sound and Turnagain Arm. Hundreds of years ago the glacier filled the entire Portage Valley, a distance of 14 miles (23 km), and was connected to what are now five separate glaciers. The Begich/Boggs Visitor Center (located here 60°47′05″N 148°50′29″W) was built by the U.S. Forest Service in 1986. However, the glacier can no longer be viewed from there. In the summer a boat ride across the lake is required to view the glacier. Commercial boat tours are available. In the winter the...From the Wikipedia article “Portage Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Portage Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 33° (NNE) at the June solstice and 142° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 327° (NNW) in June to 218° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:57 AM | 89° E | 8:10 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:23 AM | 33° NNE | 11:33 PM | 327° NNW | 53° | 19h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:40 AM | 88° E | 7:57 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:06 AM | 142° SE | 3:43 PM | 218° SW | 6° | 5h 37m |
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 | 8:54 AM | 9:49 AM | 11:31 AM | 2:39 PM | 4:21 PM | 5:16 PM | 6h 32m |
| February | 7:52 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:43 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:29 PM | 9h 07m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:09 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:15 PM | 10:03 PM | 14h 39m |
| May | 4:04 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:22 AM | 9:23 PM | 10:33 PM | 11:40 PM | 17h 21m |
| June | — | 4:23 AM | 5:47 AM | 10:06 PM | 11:30 PM | — | 19h 07m |
| July | 3:26 AM | 4:53 AM | 6:09 AM | 9:55 PM | 11:11 PM | 12:37 AM | 18h 18m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:54 PM | 10:47 PM | 15h 47m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:19 PM | 9:02 PM | 12h 56m |
| October | 7:54 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:38 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:29 PM | 10h 09m |
| November | 8:08 AM | 8:59 AM | 10:23 AM | 2:58 PM | 4:22 PM | 5:13 PM | 7h 23m |
| December | 9:01 AM | 10:01 AM | — | — | 3:42 PM | 4:42 PM | 5h 41m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 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 March as the clearest month (about 69% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 46 | 53 | 75 | 75 | 72 | 61 | 49 | 42 | 37 |
| Low °F | -17 | -12 | -19 | 0 | 15 | 31 | 36 | 34 | 27 | 2 | -12 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.1 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 9.7 | 12.8 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 11.8 |
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 Portage Glacier, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Williwaw Campground6.2 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Black Bear Campground6.8 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Black Bear Campground6.9 km (4.3 mi)
- Spencer Bench Cabin12.8 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop Group Campground15.2 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Portage Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Portage Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Portage Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Portage Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Portage Glacier?
How far is Portage Glacier from Girdwood?
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.