1. Home
  2. Lighthouses
  3. Alaska
  4. Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
  5. Grand Island Light
58.0995° N134.1077° W9 mBortle 2Juneau

Grand Island Light Photography Guide

Lighthouse in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska · 9 m (30 ft)

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 223°–321°
  • Clearest: May

Located in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska, Grand Island Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) SE of Juneau.

Elevation
9 m
30 ft
Nearest town
Juneau
29 km (18 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
May
74% cloud
Golden hour (Oct)
4:58 PM
sunset 5:53 PM

Light at Grand Island Light

Live
Sunrise
7:44 AM
Sunset
5:40 PM
Golden hour AM
7:19 AM – 8:41 AM
Golden hour PM
4:43 PM – 6:05 PM
Blue hour AM
7:03 AM – 7:19 AM
Blue hour PM
6:05 PM – 6:20 PM
Full darkness
7:52 PM – 5:34 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
4:12 PM / 12:22 AM
Day length
9h 56m
Sunrise azimuth
109°
Sunset azimuth
252°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Juneau. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Grand Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 39° (NE) at the June solstice and 137° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 321° (NW) in June to 223° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 8° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)6:59 AM89° E7:11 PM271° W32°12h 12m
June solstice (Jun 21)3:53 AM39° NE10:05 PM321° NW55°18h 13m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:42 AM88° E6:58 PM272° W32°12h 16m
December solstice (Dec 21)8:43 AM137° SE3:08 PM223° SW8°6h 26m

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

Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.

Month (15th)Blue hour startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:43 AM8:31 AM9:51 AM2:22 PM3:42 PM4:30 PM7h 11m
February6:47 AM7:29 AM8:28 AM3:55 PM4:54 PM5:36 PM9h 25m
March6:34 AM7:13 AM8:05 AM6:07 PM6:59 PM7:38 PM11h 46m
April5:02 AM5:46 AM6:39 AM7:15 PM8:08 PM8:52 PM14h 23m
May3:36 AM4:32 AM5:34 AM8:14 PM9:15 PM10:11 PM16h 43m
June2:37 AM3:53 AM5:04 AM8:52 PM10:03 PM11:19 PM18h 10m
July3:12 AM4:17 AM5:24 AM8:42 PM9:49 PM10:54 PM17h 32m
August4:33 AM5:20 AM6:17 AM7:47 PM8:43 PM9:30 PM15h 23m
September5:47 AM6:27 AM7:19 AM6:26 PM7:18 PM7:58 PM12h 51m
October6:53 AM7:32 AM8:28 AM4:58 PM5:53 PM6:33 PM10h 21m
November6:59 AM7:45 AM8:55 AM2:29 PM3:39 PM4:25 PM7h 55m
December7:46 AM8:38 AM10:13 AM1:32 PM3:07 PM3:59 PM6h 29m

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.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-10°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
MarchBelow 10° in darkness—-1°—
AprilBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
MayBelow 10° in darkness—1°—
JuneNo darkness———
JulyNo darkness———
AugustBelow 10° in darkness—-9°—
SeptemberBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-10°—
DecemberBelow 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.

Weather & best season

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

Average cloud cover (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F413645486071737367554438
Low °F-27-22-19-310323536271-19-23
Precip. (in)13.09.38.16.96.05.97.910.814.714.813.013.3

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 lighthouse

  • Many lighthouses are on private or Coast Guard property — check public access and opening hours.
  • Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
  • During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
  • Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
  • Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.

Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.

Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.

Tides

The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Taku Harbor, 6.6 km (4.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.

High & low tides — next 3 days

NOAA

Loading predictions…

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Grand Island Light, closest first.

Waterfall
Grindstone Falls15 km away · Juneau City and Borough
Waterfall
Lost Rocker Falls22 km away · Juneau City and Borough · 200 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Viewing Spit24 km away · Juneau City and Borough
Waterfall
Suicide Falls24 km away · Juneau City and Borough · 107 m
Mount RobertsMountain Peak
Mount Roberts24 km away · Juneau City and Borough · 1,096 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Grand Island Light?
May has the clearest skies on average. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
What time is golden hour at Grand Island Light?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 4:58 PM and ends after sunset at about 5:53 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:28 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Grand Island Light?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 39° in June to 137° in December; sunset ranges from 321° to 223°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Grand Island Light?
The Milky Way core stays very low or the nights are too bright at this latitude. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grand Island Light?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Grand Island Light from Juneau?
About 29 km (18 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.