Devils Paw — a mountain peak in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska at about 2,616 m (8,583 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 58 km (36 mi) NE of Juneau.
Devils Paw (or Devil's Paw, or Boundary Peak 93) is the high point of the Juneau Icefield, on the Alaska–British Columbia border. It is a part of the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains. It is notable for its steep rise above the low local terrain. Its height is sometimes given as 8,507 feet (2,593 m)[2]. Devils Paw is located on the northeast side of the Juneau Icefield, and its north slopes feed Tulsequah Lake and the Tulsequah Glacier. Its south slope forms the head of the picturesquely-named "Hades Highway", which is the eastern extremity of the Icefield. To illustrate the steepness of the peak: the north face drops 7,000 ft (2,130 m) in approximately three miles (4.8 km), and the southeast side drops 8,000 ft (2,440 m) in about seven miles (11 km).From the Wikipedia article “Devils Paw”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Devils Paw the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 38° (NE) at the June solstice and 138° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 322° (NW) in June to 222° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 8° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:45 AM | 38° NE | 10:10 PM | 322° NW | 55° | 18h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 88° E | 6:57 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:47 AM | 138° SE | 3:02 PM | 222° SW | 8° | 6h 15m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:59 AM | 2:12 PM | 3:37 PM | 4:26 PM | 7h 02m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 21m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 4:59 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 26m |
| May | 3:29 AM | 4:27 AM | 5:30 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:18 PM | 10:17 PM | 16h 52m |
| June | 2:24 AM | 3:46 AM | 4:59 AM | 8:54 PM | 10:08 PM | 11:30 PM | 18h 22m |
| July | 3:03 AM | 4:11 AM | 5:20 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:53 PM | 11:01 PM | 17h 42m |
| August | 4:28 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 28m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 52m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 18m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:47 AM | 9:00 AM | 2:21 PM | 3:35 PM | 4:21 PM | 7h 48m |
| December | 7:49 AM | 8:42 AM | 10:24 AM | 1:19 PM | 3:01 PM | 3:54 PM | 6h 19m |
Local time (America/Juneau), 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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 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 February as the clearest month (about 68% average cloud cover) and September 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 | 42 | 37 | 47 | 41 | 57 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 67 | 53 | 39 | 38 |
| Low °F | -39 | -36 | -33 | -13 | 2 | 25 | 32 | 30 | 23 | -11 | -32 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 12.2 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 7.4 | 9.9 | 14.1 | 13.8 | 12.3 | 12.2 |
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 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Devils Paw, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Devils Paw?
What time is golden hour at Devils Paw?
Where does the sun rise and set at Devils Paw?
Can you see the Milky Way from Devils Paw?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Devils Paw?
How far is Devils Paw from Juneau?
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.