Mount Blackburn — a mountain peak in Copper River Census Area, Alaska at about 4,839 m (15,876 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Mount Blackburn (Ahtna: K’ats’i Tl’aadi) is the highest peak in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska in the United States. It is the fifth-highest peak in the United States and the twelfth-highest peak in North America. The mountain is an old, eroded shield volcano, the second-highest volcano in the U.S. behind Mount Bona and the fifth-highest in North America. It was named in 1885 by Lt. Henry T. Allen of the U.S. Army after Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn, a U.S. senator from Kentucky. It is located in the heart of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the country.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Blackburn”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Blackburn the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 30° (NNE) at the June solstice and 145° (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) | 7:35 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:48 AM | 30° NNE | 11:25 PM | 330° NNW | 52° | 19h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 88° E | 7:36 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:55 AM | 145° SE | 3:10 PM | 216° SW | 5° | 5h 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 | 8:39 AM | 9:36 AM | 11:33 AM | 1:54 PM | 3:51 PM | 4:49 PM | 6h 15m |
| February | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:28 AM | 4:09 PM | 5:19 PM | 6:05 PM | 8h 59m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:50 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:19 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:47 PM | 14h 46m |
| May | 3:29 AM | 4:43 AM | 5:56 AM | 9:06 PM | 10:19 PM | 11:33 PM | 17h 37m |
| June | — | 3:49 AM | 5:19 AM | 9:52 PM | 11:22 PM | — | 19h 33m |
| July | 2:37 AM | 4:21 AM | 5:42 AM | 9:39 PM | 11:00 PM | 12:43 AM | 18h 39m |
| August | 4:45 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:38 PM | 10:34 PM | 15h 57m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 12h 58m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:21 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:22 PM | 7:07 PM | 10h 04m |
| November | 7:51 AM | 8:44 AM | 10:15 AM | 2:24 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:47 PM | 7h 10m |
| December | 8:46 AM | 9:50 AM | — | — | 3:10 PM | 4:14 PM | 5h 20m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.95 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 59% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 34 | 33 | 40 | 50 | 54 | 63 | 63 | 68 | 56 | 44 | 32 | 31 |
| Low °F | -36 | -35 | -35 | -21 | 6 | 20 | 25 | 21 | 10 | -18 | -31 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 5.1 | 7.5 | 8.9 | 7.1 | 5.9 | 6.0 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Blackburn, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Blackburn?
What time is golden hour at Mount Blackburn?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Blackburn?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Blackburn?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Blackburn?
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.