North Guardian Glacier is a glacier in Snohomish County, Washington at about 2,576 m (8,451 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 41 km (25 mi) ESE of Darrington.
North Guardian Glacier is located on east slopes of Glacier Peak in the U.S. state of Washington. The glacier descends from 8,600 ft (2,600 m) to 6,430 ft (1,960 m) and is partially connected to Chocolate Glacier which lies to its south. As is true with all the glaciers found on Glacier Peak, North Guardian Glacier is retreating. North Guardian Glacier retreated approximately 1,500 m (4,900 ft) between 1850 and 1946, however during a cooler and wetter period from about 1950 to 1979, the glacier advanced modestly. Since then North Guardian Glacier resumed retreating and thinning and by 2005 the glacier had returned to its minimum length as recorded in 1946.From the Wikipedia article “North Guardian Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At North Guardian Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 52° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:14 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 21m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:23 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:18 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 23m |
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 North Guardian Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 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 | 3:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 2:52 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:21 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:47 PM – 12:47 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:45 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.59 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of North Guardian Glacier, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Glacier
Hot Spring
Volcano
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
GlacierHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sulphur Creek Campground17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Alpine Meadows Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Bedal Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Nineteen Mile Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Nineteenmile Campground22 km (14 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph North Guardian Glacier?
What time is golden hour at North Guardian Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at North Guardian Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from North Guardian Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at North Guardian Glacier?
How far is North Guardian Glacier from Darrington?
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.