Colchuck Glacier is a glacier in Chelan County, Washington at about 2,143 m (7,031 ft) above sea level. It is part of Wenatchee National Forest. It sits roughly 18.6 km (11.6 mi) SW of Leavenworth.
Colchuck Glacier is in the Stuart Range immediately north of Colchuck Peak and Dragontail Peak, in the U.S. state of Washington. Colchuck Glacier is within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of Wenatchee National Forest. The glacier is approximately 0.30 mi (0.48 km) in length, 0.10 mi (0.16 km) in width at its widest and descends from 7,600 to 6,400 ft (2,300 to 2,000 m), where it terminates on barren rock and talus. Below the glacier lies Colchuck Lake. The mountain and glacier take their name from the lake, which in Chinook Jargon means "cold water" or "ice".From the Wikipedia article “Colchuck Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colchuck Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 53° NE | 9:05 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 125° SE | 4:15 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Colchuck Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:36 AM – 2:56 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:07 AM – 1:57 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:38 PM – 12:58 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 10:50 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.56 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 51 | 51 | 64 | 75 | 86 | 95 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 78 | 60 | 45 |
| Low °F | -11 | -4 | -1 | 16 | 22 | 31 | 37 | 39 | 28 | 12 | -6 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Colchuck Glacier, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Waterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eightmile Campground9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Eightmile Group Site9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Bridge Creek Group Site10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Icicle Group Campground12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Teanaway Guard Station13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colchuck Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Colchuck Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colchuck Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colchuck Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colchuck Glacier?
How far is Colchuck Glacier from Leavenworth?
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.