Mount Crillon — a mountain peak in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska at about 3,677 m (12,064 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 165 km (102 mi) WNW of Juneau.
Mount Crillon is a high peak of the Fairweather Range, the southernmost part of the Saint Elias Mountains. It lies southeast of Mount Fairweather, in the promontory between the Gulf of Alaska and Glacier Bay. It is included in Glacier Bay National Park. The peak was named after Felix-Francois-Dorothee de Bretton, Comte de Crillon, by his friend, the French explorer Jean Francois de Galaup de la Perouse.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Crillon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Crillon 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) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:59 AM | 38° NE | 10:23 PM | 322° NW | 55° | 18h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 88° E | 7:10 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:59 AM | 138° SE | 3:16 PM | 222° SW | 8° | 6h 16m |
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 | 7:57 AM | 8:47 AM | 10:11 AM | 2:27 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:40 PM | 7h 03m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:04 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 22m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:18 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:22 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 26m |
| May | 3:43 AM | 4:41 AM | 5:44 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:31 PM | 10:29 PM | 16h 51m |
| June | 2:38 AM | 4:00 AM | 5:13 AM | 9:07 PM | 10:20 PM | 11:42 PM | 18h 21m |
| July | 3:17 AM | 4:25 AM | 5:33 AM | 8:57 PM | 10:06 PM | 11:14 PM | 17h 41m |
| August | 4:42 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 28m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 52m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:42 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 18m |
| November | 7:13 AM | 8:00 AM | 9:13 AM | 2:35 PM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 7h 49m |
| December | 8:02 AM | 8:55 AM | 10:36 AM | 1:34 PM | 3:15 PM | 4:08 PM | 6h 20m |
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 ≈ 21.95 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 April as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 43 | 41 | 44 | 47 | 54 | 68 | 69 | 68 | 60 | 51 | 46 | 42 |
| Low °F | -3 | 0 | -2 | 15 | 28 | 35 | 40 | 43 | 37 | 21 | 5 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 17.8 | 14.5 | 11.6 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 7.1 | 8.7 | 13.2 | 18.8 | 20.2 | 19.7 | 20.0 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Crillon, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Glacier
Glacier
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Crillon?
What time is golden hour at Mount Crillon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Crillon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Crillon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Crillon?
How far is Mount Crillon 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.