Lincoln Rock Light is a lighthouse in City and Borough of Wrangell, Alaska. The nearest town is Wrangell, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Lincoln Rock Light lies SSW of town). It dates from 1903.
The Lincoln Rock Lighthouse was a lighthouse located on Lincoln Island, a small islet in Clarence Strait in southeastern Alaska, United States. It lay just off the west coast of Etolin Island, between it and Prince of Wales Island.From the Wikipedia article “Lincoln Rock Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lincoln Rock Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 43° (NE) at the June solstice and 134° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 317° (NW) in June to 226° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 57° in summer but only 11° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 34° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:04 AM | 43° NE | 9:42 PM | 317° NW | 57° | 17h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 88° E | 6:52 PM | 272° W | 34° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:22 AM | 134° SE | 3:18 PM | 226° SW | 11° | 6h 56m |
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 starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:24 AM | 2:38 PM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 7h 36m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 38m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 48m |
| April | 5:05 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 12m |
| May | 3:48 AM | 4:38 AM | 5:35 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:48 PM | 16h 20m |
| June | 3:02 AM | 4:04 AM | 5:09 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:40 PM | 10:43 PM | 17h 36m |
| July | 3:30 AM | 4:26 AM | 5:27 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:25 PM | 17h 02m |
| August | 4:39 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 07m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 47m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 29m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:33 AM | 2:40 PM | 3:44 PM | 4:26 PM | 8h 15m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:37 AM | 1:57 PM | 3:16 PM | 4:04 PM | 6h 59m |
Local time (America/Sitka), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 1.5+ 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 lighthouse
- 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.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Beck Island, Clarence Strait, 10.3 km (6.4 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lincoln Rock Light, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Steamer Bay Cabin12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Barnes Lake Cabin17.9 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Sweet Water Lake Cabin19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Honker Lake Cabin28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lincoln Rock Light?
What time is golden hour at Lincoln Rock Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lincoln Rock Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lincoln Rock Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lincoln Rock Light?
How far is Lincoln Rock Light from Wrangell?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap contributors, 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.