Collier Glacier is a glacier in Lane County, Oregon at about 2,562 m (8,406 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sisters, about 23 km (15 mi) away (Collier Glacier lies SW of town).
Collier Glacier is in the U.S. state of Oregon. The glacier is situated in the Cascade Range at an elevation generally above 8,000 feet (2,400 m). Collier Glacier is on the west slopes of North Sister, an extinct shield volcano. Since its last maximum extent during the Little Ice Age (1350–1850 A.D.) the glacier has retreated over a mile.From the Wikipedia article “Collier Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Collier Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 56° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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
From Collier Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 2:50 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Collier Glacier, closest first.
Waterfall
Volcano
Volcano
Rock FormationWaterfallWaterfallVolcanoVolcanoWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Scott Lake9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs Campground10.4 km (6.4 mi)
- Three Creeks Meadow Campground11.7 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Meadow Horse Camp12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Collier Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Collier Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Collier Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Collier Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Collier Glacier?
How far is Collier Glacier from Sisters?
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.