Portland Island Light — a lighthouse in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Juneau, about 20 km (12 mi) away (Portland Island Light lies WNW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Portland Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 39° (NE) at the June solstice and 138° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 322° (NW) in June to 223° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 8° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:53 AM | 39° NE | 10:10 PM | 322° NW | 55° | 18h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 88° E | 7:00 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:47 AM | 138° SE | 3:09 PM | 223° SW | 8° | 6h 22m |
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 | 7:46 AM | 8:35 AM | 9:57 AM | 2:21 PM | 3:43 PM | 4:32 PM | 7h 08m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:32 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 24m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:09 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 5:04 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 24m |
| May | 3:36 AM | 4:33 AM | 5:35 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:20 PM | 10:16 PM | 16h 47m |
| June | 2:35 AM | 3:53 AM | 5:05 AM | 8:56 PM | 10:08 PM | 11:26 PM | 18h 15m |
| July | 3:11 AM | 4:18 AM | 5:25 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:53 PM | 11:00 PM | 17h 36m |
| August | 4:34 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 25m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 51m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 20m |
| November | 7:03 AM | 7:48 AM | 9:00 AM | 2:29 PM | 3:41 PM | 4:27 PM | 7h 52m |
| December | 7:50 AM | 8:43 AM | 10:20 AM | 1:30 PM | 3:07 PM | 4:00 PM | 6h 25m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.77 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 41 | 36 | 45 | 48 | 60 | 71 | 73 | 73 | 67 | 55 | 44 | 38 |
| Low °F | -27 | -22 | -19 | -3 | 10 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 27 | 1 | -19 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 13.0 | 9.3 | 8.1 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 10.8 | 14.7 | 14.8 | 13.0 | 13.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Auke Bay, 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Portland Island Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
LakeLighthouse
Lake
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
WaterfallScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Auk Village Campground4.1 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- John Muir Cabin7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Peterson Lake Cabin10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Sítʼ Yá Hítʼ Cabin12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Mendenhall Campground13.4 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Portland Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Portland Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Portland Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Portland Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Portland Island Light?
How far is Portland Island Light from Juneau?
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.