Mount Billy Mitchell is a mountain peak in Chugach Census Area, Alaska at about 2,122 m (6,962 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 58 km (36 mi) E of Valdez.
Mount Billy Mitchell is a prominent 6,919-foot (2,109 m) peak located in the Chugach Mountains, 35 miles (56 km) east of Valdez and 12 miles (19 km) west of the Copper River in the U.S. state of Alaska. This mountain forms a prominent and easily visible landmark between mile markers 43 and 51 of the Richardson Highway, as the highway passes just to its west between Tonsina and the Thompson Pass (see photograph). Mount Billy Mitchell was named for William "Billy" Mitchell (1879–1936), a brigadier general of the United States Army Air Service who is often referred to as the "father of the United States Air Force".From the Wikipedia article “Mount Billy Mitchell (Chugach Mountains)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Billy Mitchell the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 32° (NNE) at the June solstice and 143° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 329° (NNW) in June to 217° (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) | 7:43 AM | 89° E | 7:56 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:03 AM | 32° NNE | 11:25 PM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 88° E | 7:43 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:56 AM | 143° SE | 3:24 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 27m |
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 | 8:43 AM | 9:39 AM | 11:27 AM | 2:15 PM | 4:03 PM | 4:59 PM | 6h 24m |
| February | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:32 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:14 PM | 9h 04m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:56 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:51 PM | 14h 42m |
| May | 3:44 AM | 4:54 AM | 6:05 AM | 9:11 PM | 10:22 PM | 11:33 PM | 17h 28m |
| June | — | 4:03 AM | 5:30 AM | 9:55 PM | 11:22 PM | — | 19h 18m |
| July | 3:01 AM | 4:34 AM | 5:52 AM | 9:43 PM | 11:01 PM | 12:34 AM | 18h 28m |
| August | 4:56 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:42 PM | 10:37 PM | 15h 51m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:06 AM | 7:09 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:50 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:26 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:15 PM | 10h 07m |
| November | 7:56 AM | 8:48 AM | 10:15 AM | 2:38 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:57 PM | 7h 17m |
| December | 8:50 AM | 9:51 AM | — | — | 3:23 PM | 4:25 PM | 5h 31m |
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 | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 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 March as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (79%). August 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 | 34 | 32 | 41 | 49 | 56 | 62 | 68 | 72 | 57 | 48 | 34 | 33 |
| Low °F | -37 | -36 | -35 | -14 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 23 | 10 | -10 | -32 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.7 | 6.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 10.4 | 8.7 | 7.4 | 7.8 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Billy Mitchell, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Billy Mitchell?
What time is golden hour at Mount Billy Mitchell?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Billy Mitchell?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Billy Mitchell?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Billy Mitchell?
How far is Mount Billy Mitchell from Valdez?
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.