Located in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, Eagle Summit is a mountain pass. It sits roughly 125 km (78 mi) NE of Badger.
Eagle Summit is a 3,652 feet (1,113 m)-tall gap through the White Mountains of central Alaska. The gap was named after the nearby Eagle River by prospectors from nearby Circle, Alaska. Eagle Summit is the site of a convergence zone between the Yukon Flats to the north and the low ground of the Tanana Valley to the south. Any differential in the weather within the two valleys causes high winds and precipitation when there is moisture in the atmosphere. In 1916, Hudson Stuck, who was one of the first people to climb Denali's South Peak, wrote, "The Eagle Summit is one of the most difficult summits in Alaska. The wind blows so fiercely that sometimes for days together its passage is almost impossible. ... The snow smothers up everything on the lee side of the hill, and the end of every storm presents a new surface and an altered route. ... there is no easier pass and no way around."From the Wikipedia article “Eagle Summit (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eagle Summit the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 8° (N) at the June solstice and 158° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 352° (N) in June to 202° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 48° in summer but only 1° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 89° E | 7:57 PM | 272° W | 24° | 12h 15m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 2:19 AM | 8° N | 1:10 AM | 352° N | 48° | 22h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 88° E | 7:45 PM | 273° W | 25° | 12h 20m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 11:04 AM | 158° SSE | 2:17 PM | 202° SSW | 1° | 3h 13m |
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 | 9:12 AM | 10:27 AM | — | — | 3:16 PM | 4:31 PM | 4h 49m |
| February | 7:50 AM | 8:45 AM | 10:10 AM | 3:43 PM | 5:09 PM | 6:03 PM | 8h 24m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 8:01 AM | 9:08 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:31 PM | 11h 40m |
| April | 5:04 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:11 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:20 PM | 15h 17m |
| May | — | 4:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 9:35 PM | 11:07 PM | — | 18h 57m |
| June | — | 2:25 AM | 4:54 AM | 10:31 PM | 1:01 AM | — | 22h 36m |
| July | — | 3:31 AM | 5:23 AM | 10:13 PM | 12:05 AM | — | 20h 34m |
| August | 4:13 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:53 PM | 10:09 PM | 11:21 PM | 16h 45m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:06 PM | 8:12 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 08m |
| October | 7:46 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:52 AM | 5:04 PM | 6:19 PM | 7:10 PM | 9h 42m |
| November | 8:19 AM | 9:24 AM | — | — | 3:30 PM | 4:35 PM | 6h 06m |
| December | 9:26 AM | 10:57 AM | — | — | 2:18 PM | 3:50 PM | 3h 21m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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 47% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 57 | 75 | 76 | 78 | 74 | 63 | 57 | 34 | 35 |
| Low °F | -52 | -44 | -47 | -21 | 4 | 23 | 35 | 26 | 9 | -16 | -33 | -46 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
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
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eagle Summit?
What time is golden hour at Eagle Summit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eagle Summit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eagle Summit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eagle Summit?
How far is Eagle Summit from Badger?
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.