Located in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, Hayes Volcano is a mountain peak. It sits roughly 136 km (84 mi) NNW of Kenai.
Hayes Volcano is a stratovolcano in southwestern Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, 135 km northwest of Anchorage, that was not discovered until 1975. It is responsible for a series of six major tephra layers in the Cook Inlet region of Alaska. Hayes was mostly destroyed by at least six catastrophic eruptions between 3,400 and 3,800 years ago, and the average volume of these eruptions was 2.4 cubic km. In comparison, the volume of the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was about 1 cubic km. The eruptions of Hayes Volcano during that time were the most voluminous Holocene eruptions to have occurred in the Cook Inlet region. There is currently no fumarolic activity present. The last eruption of Hayes Volcano occurred roughly 1,200 years ago. It is named after the adjacent Hayes Glacier.From the Wikipedia article “Hayes Volcano”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hayes Volcano the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 30° (NNE) at the June solstice and 144° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 330° (NNW) in June to 216° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:11 AM | 89° E | 8:24 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:25 AM | 30° NNE | 11:59 PM | 330° NNW | 52° | 19h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:55 AM | 88° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:30 AM | 144° SE | 3:47 PM | 216° SW | 5° | 5h 17m |
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 | 9:14 AM | 10:11 AM | 12:07 PM | 2:33 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:26 PM | 6h 17m |
| February | 8:08 AM | 8:55 AM | 10:04 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:41 PM | 9h 00m |
| March | 7:44 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:26 AM | 7:13 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:22 PM | 14h 45m |
| May | 4:06 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:32 AM | 9:42 PM | 10:54 PM | 12:08 AM | 17h 35m |
| June | — | 4:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 10:27 PM | 11:56 PM | — | 19h 30m |
| July | 3:17 AM | 4:58 AM | 6:18 AM | 10:14 PM | 11:35 PM | 1:16 AM | 18h 37m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:21 AM | 9:09 PM | 10:13 PM | 11:09 PM | 15h 56m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:19 PM | 12h 58m |
| October | 8:09 AM | 8:54 AM | 9:57 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:43 PM | 10h 04m |
| November | 8:27 AM | 9:20 AM | 10:50 AM | 3:01 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:24 PM | 7h 11m |
| December | 9:21 AM | 10:25 AM | — | — | 3:47 PM | 4:50 PM | 5h 22m |
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 | — | -7° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 52% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 41 | 50 | 65 | 69 | 67 | 56 | 43 | 35 | 31 |
| Low °F | -36 | -29 | -36 | -20 | -11 | 15 | 30 | 24 | 2 | -16 | -33 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.1 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 5.1 | 5.7 |
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.
- 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 Hayes Volcano?
What time is golden hour at Hayes Volcano?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hayes Volcano?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hayes Volcano?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hayes Volcano?
How far is Hayes Volcano from Kenai?
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.