Smith Glacier — a glacier in Chugach Census Area, Alaska at about 1,559 m (5,115 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 80 km (49 mi) ESE of Palmer.
Smith Glacier is a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) long glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It trends southeast to Harvard Arm of College Fjord, 2.8 miles (4.5 km) northwest of College Point and 51 miles (82 km) west of Valdez. It was named for Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts by members of the 1899 Harriman Alaska Expedition.From the Wikipedia article “Smith Glacier (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Smith Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 32° (NNE) at the June solstice and 143° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 329° (NNW) in June to 217° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:53 AM | 89° E | 8:06 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:12 AM | 32° NNE | 11:36 PM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:36 AM | 88° E | 7:53 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:07 AM | 143° SE | 3:33 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 26m |
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 | 8:53 AM | 9:50 AM | 11:39 AM | 2:24 PM | 4:13 PM | 5:09 PM | 6h 23m |
| February | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 9:42 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:24 PM | 9h 03m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 9:06 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:13 PM | 10:02 PM | 14h 43m |
| May | 3:53 AM | 5:04 AM | 6:15 AM | 9:22 PM | 10:33 PM | 11:44 PM | 17h 29m |
| June | — | 4:12 AM | 5:39 AM | 10:06 PM | 11:33 PM | — | 19h 20m |
| July | 3:09 AM | 4:43 AM | 6:02 AM | 9:54 PM | 11:12 PM | 12:46 AM | 18h 29m |
| August | 5:06 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:50 PM | 9:53 PM | 10:47 PM | 15h 52m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:16 PM | 9:00 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:50 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:36 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:25 PM | 10h 06m |
| November | 8:07 AM | 8:58 AM | 10:26 AM | 2:48 PM | 4:15 PM | 5:07 PM | 7h 16m |
| December | 9:00 AM | 10:02 AM | — | — | 3:32 PM | 4:34 PM | 5h 30m |
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 | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.0+ 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 60% 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 | 31 | 29 | 36 | 41 | 51 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 46 | 39 | 32 | 30 |
| Low °F | -39 | -36 | -40 | -14 | 6 | 18 | 27 | 22 | 6 | -15 | -35 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 12.0 | 11.3 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 10.1 | 14.0 | 18.6 | 16.3 | 13.3 | 14.6 |
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
- 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.
- Boat tours to tidewater glaciers offer calving shots; use fast shutter speeds and a telephoto.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Smith Glacier, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Smith Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Smith Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Smith Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Smith Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Smith Glacier?
How far is Smith Glacier from Palmer?
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.