Sacagawea Glacier — a glacier in Fremont County, Wyoming at about 3,653 m (11,985 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 37 km (23 mi) NNE of Pinedale.
Sacagawea Glacier is east of the Continental Divide in the northern Wind River Range in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The glacier is located in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest, and is among the largest grouping of glaciers in the American Rocky Mountains. Sacagawea Glacier flows to the east, from a northeast facing cirque, starting near the summit of Mount Sacagawea. A large moraine and small proglacial lake are situated beyond the terminal east end of the glacier.From the Wikipedia article “Sacagawea Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sacagawea Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 56° NE | 9:02 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 122° ESE | 4:47 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Sacagawea Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:47 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 3:10 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:08 PM – 1:58 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:52 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:47 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 41 | 40 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 91 | 88 | 83 | 72 | 60 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -31 | -18 | -8 | 7 | 22 | 31 | 29 | 14 | -5 | -24 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 Sacagawea Glacier, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
GlacierWilderness Area
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trails End Campground19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Half Moon Lake Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Fremont Lake26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Narrows Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Green River Lake Lodge27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sacagawea Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Sacagawea Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sacagawea Glacier?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Sacagawea Glacier?
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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.