Located in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, Tazlina Glacier is a glacier at about 1,369 m (4,491 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Valdez, about 41 km (26 mi) away (Tazlina Glacier lies NNW of town).
Tazlina Glacier is a 25 mi (40 km) long glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It begins 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Mount Cashman and Mount Shouplina then flows north to its terminus one mile (1.6 km) south of Tazlina Lake and 43 miles (69 km) north of Valdez. Tazlina Glacier is the largest northward flowing glacier in the Chugach Mountains. The terminus of the glacier is retreating and thinning. The glacier is around the Valdez area and is also a popular attraction for tourists. At the foot of the glacier lies the Tazlina Lake and the Tazlina River.From the Wikipedia article “Tazlina Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tazlina Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 31° (NNE) at the June solstice and 144° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 330° (NNW) in June to 216° (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) | 7:48 AM | 89° E | 8:01 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:04 AM | 31° NNE | 11:34 PM | 330° NNW | 52° | 19h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:31 AM | 88° E | 7:48 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:05 AM | 144° SE | 3:26 PM | 216° SW | 5° | 5h 21m |
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 | 8:50 AM | 9:47 AM | 11:39 AM | 2:14 PM | 4:06 PM | 5:03 PM | 6h 19m |
| February | 7:44 AM | 8:31 AM | 9:39 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:18 PM | 9h 01m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 9:02 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:58 PM | 14h 44m |
| May | 3:45 AM | 4:57 AM | 6:09 AM | 9:18 PM | 10:30 PM | 11:42 PM | 17h 32m |
| June | — | 4:05 AM | 5:33 AM | 10:03 PM | 11:31 PM | — | 19h 26m |
| July | 2:58 AM | 4:36 AM | 5:56 AM | 9:50 PM | 11:10 PM | 12:48 AM | 18h 34m |
| August | 4:59 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:49 PM | 10:44 PM | 15h 54m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:14 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:46 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:33 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:20 PM | 10h 05m |
| November | 8:03 AM | 8:55 AM | 10:24 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:09 PM | 5:01 PM | 7h 13m |
| December | 8:57 AM | 10:00 AM | — | — | 3:25 PM | 4:28 PM | 5h 25m |
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 | — | -7° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 | 32 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 52 | 60 | 62 | 67 | 52 | 44 | 33 | 32 |
| Low °F | -41 | -38 | -38 | -16 | 6 | 19 | 29 | 23 | 8 | -14 | -34 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 5.7 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 8.0 | 9.9 | 8.4 | 7.1 | 7.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tazlina Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Tazlina Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tazlina Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tazlina Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tazlina Glacier?
How far is Tazlina Glacier from Valdez?
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.