Byron Peak — a mountain peak in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 1,400 m (4,593 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Chugach National Forest. The nearest town is Girdwood, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Byron Peak lies SE of town).
Byron Peak is a 4,590-foot-high (1,400-metre) mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska, located in Chugach National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Byron Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Byron 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 327° (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) | 7:57 AM | 89° E | 8:10 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:23 AM | 33° NNE | 11:33 PM | 327° NNW | 53° | 19h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:41 AM | 88° E | 7:57 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:06 AM | 142° SE | 3:43 PM | 218° SW | 6° | 5h 37m |
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 | 8:55 AM | 9:49 AM | 11:31 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:22 PM | 5:16 PM | 6h 32m |
| February | 7:52 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:43 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:29 PM | 9h 07m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:10 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:16 PM | 10:03 PM | 14h 39m |
| May | 4:05 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:22 AM | 9:23 PM | 10:33 PM | 11:40 PM | 17h 20m |
| June | — | 4:24 AM | 5:47 AM | 10:07 PM | 11:30 PM | — | 19h 06m |
| July | 3:27 AM | 4:53 AM | 6:09 AM | 9:55 PM | 11:11 PM | 12:37 AM | 18h 18m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:54 PM | 10:47 PM | 15h 47m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:19 PM | 9:03 PM | 12h 56m |
| October | 7:54 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:38 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:29 PM | 10h 09m |
| November | 8:09 AM | 8:59 AM | 10:23 AM | 2:59 PM | 4:23 PM | 5:13 PM | 7h 24m |
| December | 9:01 AM | 10:01 AM | — | — | 3:42 PM | 4:42 PM | 5h 41m |
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: 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 ≈ 21.88 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 69% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 40 | 46 | 53 | 75 | 75 | 72 | 61 | 49 | 42 | 37 |
| Low °F | -17 | -12 | -19 | 0 | 15 | 31 | 36 | 34 | 27 | 2 | -12 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.1 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 9.7 | 12.8 | 12.1 | 10.8 | 11.8 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Byron Peak, closest first.
Glacier
Lake
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Williwaw Campground6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Black Bear Campground7.0 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Black Bear Campground7.1 km (4.4 mi)
- Spencer Bench Cabin8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop Group Campground10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Byron Peak?
What time is golden hour at Byron Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Byron Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Byron Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Byron Peak?
How far is Byron Peak from Girdwood?
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.