Located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, American Summit is a mountain pass.
American Summit or (occasionally) American Pass (Hän: Häk'aww) is a 3,420 feet (1,042 m)-high mountain pass through the high ground of the Fortymile River district of east-central Alaska. Today, American Summit is traversed by the Taylor Highway, which connects the town of Eagle, Alaska to the Alaska Highway and the Top of the World Highway. Before the construction of the Taylor Highway in 1953, the Valdez-Eagle Trail passed over American Summit, providing the first overland route between the Gulf of Alaska and the gold fields of central Alaska.From the Wikipedia article “American Summit”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At American Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 17° (NNE) at the June solstice and 154° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 344° (NNW) in June to 206° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 49° in summer but only 2° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 272° W | 25° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 2:41 AM | 17° NNE | 12:15 AM | 344° NNW | 49° | 21h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 88° E | 7:28 PM | 272° W | 26° | 12h 19m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:29 AM | 154° SSE | 2:19 PM | 206° SSW | 2° | 3h 51m |
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
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:49 AM | 9:59 AM | — | — | 3:12 PM | 4:22 PM | 5h 13m |
| February | 7:31 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:45 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:49 PM | 8h 33m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:49 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:26 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 41m |
| April | 4:55 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:53 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 09m |
| May | 2:09 AM | 4:05 AM | 5:32 AM | 9:13 PM | 10:40 PM | 12:36 AM | 18h 34m |
| June | — | 2:43 AM | 4:47 AM | 10:06 PM | 12:10 AM | — | 21h 27m |
| July | — | 3:32 AM | 5:14 AM | 9:50 PM | 11:31 PM | — | 19h 59m |
| August | 4:07 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:47 PM | 10:54 PM | 16h 32m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 05m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:29 AM | 4:54 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:55 PM | 9h 48m |
| November | 7:58 AM | 8:59 AM | 11:08 AM | 1:13 PM | 3:22 PM | 4:24 PM | 6h 23m |
| December | 9:01 AM | 10:23 AM | — | — | 2:20 PM | 3:42 PM | 3h 57m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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 | — | -14° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 34 | 32 | 33 | 58 | 75 | 84 | 77 | 78 | 63 | 53 | 32 | 33 |
| Low °F | -53 | -44 | -47 | -20 | -5 | 25 | 31 | 24 | 10 | -18 | -38 | -43 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
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 mountain pass
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph American Summit?
What time is golden hour at American Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at American Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from American Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at American Summit?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.