Eel Glacier — a glacier in Jefferson County, Washington at about 1,820 m (5,971 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Seabeck, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Eel Glacier lies WNW of town).
Eel Glacier is located to the north of Mount Anderson and east of West Peak, in Olympic National Park in the U.S. state of Washington. The northward-facing glacier starts at about 6,600 feet (2,000 m) in elevation, with an arm extending up to 7,100 ft (2,200 m). As the glacier flows north, it descends in elevation to about 5,200 ft (1,600 m) at its terminus. Meltwater from the glacier gives rise to Silt Creek, which flows through the Olympic Mountains and Olympic National Park. Between 1920 and 2009, Eel Glacier has retreated significantly, losing 50 percent of its surface area. Eel Glacier's name was obtained by taking mountaineer Fairman B. Lee's last name and spelling it backwards. Lee was a member of the first expedition to summit Mount Anderson in 1920.From the Wikipedia article “Eel Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eel 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 308° (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) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 53° NE | 9:16 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 125° SE | 4:24 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Eel Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:48 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:23 AM – 2:03 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:02 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 11:02 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 ≈ 21.37 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Eel Glacier, closest first.
Mountain PeakGlacier
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hamma Hamma Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Hamma Hamma Cabin22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Staircase Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Collins Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Deer Park Campground25 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eel Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Eel Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eel Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eel Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eel Glacier?
How far is Eel Glacier from Seabeck?
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.