Black Peak is a mountain peak in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 1,722 m (5,650 ft) above sea level. It is part of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The nearest town is Kenai, about 72 km (44 mi) away (Black Peak lies WNW of town).
Black Peak is a prominent 6,385 ft-high (1,946 m) glaciated mountain summit located in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, in the Chigmit Mountains of the Aleutian Range, in the US state of Alaska. It is the second-highest non-volcanic peak in the Chigmit Mountains, and fourth-highest overall. The mountain is situated 22 mi (35 km) west of Cook Inlet, 90 mi (145 km) west-southwest of Anchorage, and 10.2 mi (16 km) northeast of Double Peak, which is the nearest higher peak. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the mountain rises up 6,200 ft (1,900 m) from North Fork Big River in about two miles. The mountain's descriptive name was published in 1912 by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for viewing or climbing the peak.From the Wikipedia article “Black Peak (Chigmit Mountains)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 33° (NNE) at the June solstice and 142° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 328° (NNW) in June to 218° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:11 AM | 89° E | 8:24 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:36 AM | 33° NNE | 11:49 PM | 328° NNW | 53° | 19h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:55 AM | 88° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:21 AM | 142° SE | 3:56 PM | 218° SW | 6° | 5h 35m |
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 | 9:10 AM | 10:05 AM | 11:48 AM | 2:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:30 PM | 6h 30m |
| February | 8:06 AM | 8:52 AM | 9:58 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:43 PM | 9h 06m |
| March | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:24 AM | 7:15 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:18 PM | 14h 40m |
| May | 4:18 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:36 AM | 9:38 PM | 10:48 PM | 11:56 PM | 17h 22m |
| June | — | 4:36 AM | 6:01 AM | 10:22 PM | 11:46 PM | — | 19h 09m |
| July | 3:39 AM | 5:06 AM | 6:23 AM | 10:10 PM | 11:26 PM | 12:54 AM | 18h 20m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:23 AM | 9:07 PM | 10:09 PM | 11:02 PM | 15h 48m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:17 PM | 12h 56m |
| October | 8:09 AM | 8:52 AM | 9:53 AM | 5:59 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:44 PM | 10h 08m |
| November | 8:23 AM | 9:14 AM | 10:39 AM | 3:12 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:27 PM | 7h 22m |
| December | 9:16 AM | 10:16 AM | — | — | 3:55 PM | 4:56 PM | 5h 39m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 March as the clearest month (about 60% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 37 | 36 | 40 | 48 | 55 | 72 | 75 | 70 | 63 | 49 | 42 | 37 |
| Low °F | -17 | -14 | -16 | -6 | 6 | 32 | 39 | 35 | 22 | 2 | -16 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 6.8 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 6.6 | 9.6 | 9.3 | 7.4 | 8.1 |
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
- 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.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Black Peak?
What time is golden hour at Black Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Peak?
How far is Black Peak from Kenai?
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.