Located in Skamania County, Washington, Crater Glacier is a glacier at about 1,923 m (6,309 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 38 km (23 mi) NNE of Amboy.
The Crater Glacier (also known as Tulutson Glacier) is a geologically young glacier on Mount St. Helens, in the U.S. state of Washington. The glacier formed after the 1980 eruption and due to its location, the body of ice grew rapidly, unknown to the public for nearly 20 years. The glacier once contained ice caves in the smooth ice before the 2004–2008 volcanic activity. The growth of the lava dome and volcanic eruptions from 2004 to 2008 significantly altered the appearance of the glacier. In the same time period, several agencies decided to put an official name on the glacier which, at first, was Tulutson Glacier. A later decision made Crater Glacier the official glacier name. Despite the volcanic activity, the glacier continued to advance and by mid-2008, the glacier completely encircled the lava domes. In addition, new glaciers (rock or ice) have formed around Crater Glacier as well.From the Wikipedia article “Crater Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crater Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 54° NE | 9:05 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 124° SE | 4:26 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 38m |
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 Crater Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:21 AM – 3:11 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:28 PM – 1:18 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:09 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). August 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 | 60 | 59 | 70 | 84 | 90 | 95 | 101 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 65 | 57 |
| Low °F | 4 | 5 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 37 | 41 | 42 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.6 | 6.8 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 6.6 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
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 Crater Glacier, closest first.
Volcano
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic Viewpoint
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Marble Mountain Group Picnic Site7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Kalama Horse Camp12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Lower Falls Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lewis River Hc (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crater Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Crater Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crater Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crater Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crater Glacier?
How far is Crater Glacier from Amboy?
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.