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Glaciers in Oregon

5 glaciers in Oregon with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Clackamas County has the most (3). The darkest skies are at Collier Glacier (Bortle 2).

Top glaciers

Collier GlacierGlacier
Collier GlacierLane County
Palmer GlacierGlacier
Palmer GlacierClackamas County
Reid GlacierGlacier
Reid GlacierClackamas County
Sandy GlacierGlacier
Sandy GlacierClackamas County
White River GlacierGlacier
White River GlacierHood River County

Glaciers by county

Map

How to photograph glaciers

Ice shows its blue best under overcast skies or in shade; bright sun turns glaciers white and flat.

  • 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.
  • Boat tours to tidewater glaciers offer calving shots; use fast shutter speeds and a telephoto.

Season: Summer offers access; late summer exposes the most bare ice before new snow.