Reid Glacier is a glacier in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska at about 669 m (2,195 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Juneau, about 148 km (92 mi) away (Reid Glacier lies WNW of town).
Reid Glacier is an 11-mile-long (18-kilometer) glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It trends north to Reid Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, two miles (3.2 km) south of Glacier Bay and 72 miles (116 km) northwest of Hoonah. It was named by members of the Harriman Alaska Expedition for Harry Fielding Reid.From the Wikipedia article “Reid Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Reid Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 38° (NE) at the June solstice and 138° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 323° (NW) in June to 222° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 8° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:57 AM | 38° NE | 10:23 PM | 323° NW | 55° | 18h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 88° E | 7:09 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:59 AM | 138° SE | 3:13 PM | 222° SW | 8° | 6h 14m |
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 | 7:57 AM | 8:46 AM | 10:11 AM | 2:24 PM | 3:48 PM | 4:38 PM | 7h 02m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:02 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 21m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:17 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 5:10 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:21 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 27m |
| May | 3:40 AM | 4:38 AM | 5:42 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:31 PM | 10:29 PM | 16h 52m |
| June | 2:35 AM | 3:57 AM | 5:11 AM | 9:06 PM | 10:20 PM | 11:43 PM | 18h 23m |
| July | 3:14 AM | 4:23 AM | 5:31 AM | 8:56 PM | 10:05 PM | 11:14 PM | 17h 42m |
| August | 4:40 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 29m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 52m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:41 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 18m |
| November | 7:12 AM | 7:59 AM | 9:13 AM | 2:33 PM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 7h 47m |
| December | 8:01 AM | 8:54 AM | 10:36 AM | 1:30 PM | 3:12 PM | 4:06 PM | 6h 18m |
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 | — | -2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| 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%). 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 | 43 | 42 | 51 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 78 | 77 | 69 | 58 | 48 | 43 |
| Low °F | -6 | -5 | -3 | 11 | 27 | 39 | 43 | 44 | 35 | 18 | -1 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 12.6 | 9.5 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 6.6 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 14.4 | 13.2 | 13.6 |
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
- 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.
- A polarizer deepens the blue of glacial ice and the turquoise of meltwater lakes.
- Include a person or boat for scale — glaciers are much larger than they look.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
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 Reid Glacier, closest first.
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Glacier
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Reid Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Reid Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Reid Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Reid Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Reid Glacier?
How far is Reid 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.