Lillian Glacier is a glacier in Jefferson County, Washington at about 1,864 m (6,115 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Olympic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Port Angeles East, about 28 km (18 mi) away (Lillian Glacier lies S of town).
Lillian Glacier was located in the Olympic Mountains in Olympic National Park in the U.S. state of Washington. The remnants of the glacier are in a cirque below McCartney Peak. Between 1905 and 2010, the Lillian Glacier melted away most likely because of global warming.From the Wikipedia article “Lillian Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lillian 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) | 5:15 AM | 53° NE | 9:17 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 125° SE | 4:24 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:57 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 39m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:56 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Lillian 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 | 3:49 AM – 4:19 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:50 AM – 3:10 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:24 AM – 2:04 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:53 PM – 1:03 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:33 PM – 11:03 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 ≈ 21.42 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 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
- 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.
- Expose carefully: ice and snow fool meters into underexposure, so add +1 to +2 stops.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lillian Glacier, closest first.
Mountain PassMountain PassMountain Pass
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Glacier
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Deer Park Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi)
- Dungeness Forks Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Louella Cabin27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lillian Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Lillian Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lillian Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lillian Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lillian Glacier?
How far is Lillian Glacier from Port Angeles East?
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.