Located in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, Arrigetch Peaks is a mountain peak at about 1,688 m (5,538 ft) above sea level.
The Arrigetch Peaks (Iñupiaq: Argaich) are a cluster of rugged granite spires in the Endicott Mountains of the central Brooks Range in northern Alaska. The name Arrigetch means 'fingers of the outstretched hand' in the Inupiat language. The peaks ring the glacial cirques at the head of the Kobuk River and 2 tributaries of the Alatna River: Arrigetch Creek and Aiyagomahala Creek (Creek 4662). They are located at latitude 67 degrees 24' N and longitude 154 degrees 10' W. All of the summits of the peaks are around 6,000 ft, 1825 m elevation. The Arrigetch Peaks area was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1968 for its spectacular geography.From the Wikipedia article “Arrigetch Peaks”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At this latitude the sun does not rise or set on some days of the year, so check the monthly table below for daylight and twilight.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:17 AM | 88° E | 8:33 PM | 272° W | 23° | 12h 16m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | — | — | — | — | 46° | — |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:00 AM | 88° E | 8:21 PM | 273° W | 23° | 12h 21m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | — | — | — | — | -1° | — |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10:04 AM | 11:36 AM | — | — | 3:17 PM | 4:49 PM | 3h 41m |
| February | 8:32 AM | 9:31 AM | 11:10 AM | 3:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:32 PM | 8h 01m |
| March | 7:43 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:50 AM | 7:03 PM | 8:16 PM | 9:10 PM | 11h 38m |
| April | 5:21 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:50 PM | 10:06 PM | 11:13 PM | 15h 37m |
| May | — | 4:15 AM | 6:04 AM | 10:24 PM | 12:13 AM | — | 19h 59m |
| June | — | — | 5:07 AM | 11:29 PM | — | — | — |
| July | — | 3:00 AM | 5:40 AM | 11:07 PM | 1:46 AM | — | 22h 46m |
| August | 4:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 9:36 PM | 11:00 PM | 12:28 AM | 17h 17m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:47 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:46 PM | 13h 14m |
| October | 8:23 AM | 9:19 AM | 10:42 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:43 PM | 9h 28m |
| November | 9:08 AM | 10:23 AM | — | — | 3:42 PM | 4:57 PM | 5h 19m |
| December | 10:23 AM | 12:46 PM | — | — | 1:39 PM | 4:02 PM | 0h 53m |
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 | — | -15° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| 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 42% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 39 | 64 | 70 | 73 | 69 | 55 | 39 | 30 | 29 |
| Low °F | -46 | -45 | -45 | -33 | -18 | 19 | 26 | 20 | -1 | -19 | -37 | -46 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
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 mountain peak
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arrigetch Peaks?
What time is golden hour at Arrigetch Peaks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arrigetch Peaks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arrigetch Peaks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arrigetch Peaks?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.