Chief Shakes Hot Springs is a hot spring in City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska at about 111 m (364 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 35 km (22 mi) NE of Wrangell.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chief Shakes Hot Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 42° (NE) at the June solstice and 135° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 319° (NW) in June to 226° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 57° in summer but only 10° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 33° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:56 AM | 42° NE | 9:45 PM | 319° NW | 57° | 17h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 88° E | 6:49 PM | 272° W | 34° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:24 AM | 135° SE | 3:10 PM | 226° SW | 10° | 6h 47m |
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
Steam is most visible on cold mornings; backlight from a low sun makes rising steam glow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:27 AM | 2:29 PM | 3:42 PM | 4:28 PM | 7h 28m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 34m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 5:00 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 15m |
| May | 3:40 AM | 4:32 AM | 5:31 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:51 PM | 16h 27m |
| June | 2:50 AM | 3:56 AM | 5:03 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:43 PM | 10:49 PM | 17h 46m |
| July | 3:20 AM | 4:19 AM | 5:22 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:29 PM | 17h 11m |
| August | 4:33 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 12m |
| September | 5:42 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:18 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 48m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 26m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:35 AM | 2:32 PM | 3:38 PM | 4:21 PM | 8h 09m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:43 AM | 1:46 PM | 3:09 PM | 3:58 PM | 6h 50m |
Local time (America/Juneau), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show February as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 43 | 43 | 51 | 56 | 70 | 82 | 80 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 48 | 43 |
| Low °F | -16 | -8 | -9 | 11 | 21 | 35 | 42 | 42 | 33 | 9 | -10 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 12.1 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 7.3 | 9.6 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 12.6 | 11.6 |
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 hot spring
- A polarizer brings out the colors of mineral terraces and microbial mats.
- Respect bathers' privacy: ask before including people at soaking pools.
- Wind direction determines where steam drifts; shoot from the upwind side to see the pool.
- Condensation forms quickly on lenses; let gear acclimate and carry a cloth.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Winter gives the most dramatic steam; some primitive springs are only accessible in summer.
Suggested gear: Circular polarizer, Lens cloth, Telephoto for distant pools. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Shakes Slough 2 Cabin4.1 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Shakes Slough 1 Cabin4.1 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Mount Flemer Cabin12.3 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Mount Rynda Cabin13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Twin Lakes Cabin (Ak)14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chief Shakes Hot Springs?
What time is golden hour at Chief Shakes Hot Springs?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chief Shakes Hot Springs?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chief Shakes Hot Springs?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chief Shakes Hot Springs?
How far is Chief Shakes Hot Springs from Wrangell?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.