Mount Douglas is a mountain peak in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 2,005 m (6,578 ft) above sea level. It is part of Katmai National Park and Preserve. It sits roughly 136 km (85 mi) NNW of Kodiak.
Mount Douglas is a stratovolcano located south of Kamishak Bay, near the northeasternmost part of the Alaska Peninsula. It lies in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The mountain was officially named in 1906 after nearby Cape Douglas based on a 1904 report by USGS geologist G. C. Martin. The Alaska Volcano Observatory currently rates Douglas as Level of Concern Color Code Not Assigned. The volcano has a warm and highly acidic crater lake approximately 160 m (525 ft) wide. In 1982, the lake had a temperature of 21 °C and a pH of 1, and temperatures of 114-118°C were measured in 1991. At the north flank of the volcano unglaciated and relatively uneroded lava flows are found. The last eruption is not known, but probably occurred during the Holocene.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Douglas (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Douglas 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 323° (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) | 8:16 AM | 89° E | 8:28 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 38° NE | 11:30 PM | 323° NW | 55° | 18h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:00 AM | 88° E | 8:15 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:07 AM | 138° SE | 4:20 PM | 222° SW | 8° | 6h 13m |
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 | 9:04 AM | 9:54 AM | 11:19 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:45 PM | 7h 01m |
| February | 8:07 AM | 8:49 AM | 9:50 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:52 PM | 9h 21m |
| March | 7:51 AM | 8:31 AM | 9:24 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:13 PM | 14h 28m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:48 AM | 9:34 PM | 10:38 PM | 11:37 PM | 16h 53m |
| June | 3:39 AM | 5:03 AM | 6:17 AM | 10:14 PM | 11:28 PM | 12:51 AM | 18h 25m |
| July | 4:20 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:38 AM | 10:04 PM | 11:13 PM | 12:22 AM | 17h 44m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:33 AM | 9:06 PM | 10:04 PM | 10:53 PM | 15h 29m |
| September | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:37 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:17 PM | 12h 52m |
| October | 8:11 AM | 8:52 AM | 9:49 AM | 6:12 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:50 PM | 10h 17m |
| November | 8:20 AM | 9:07 AM | 10:21 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:40 PM | 7h 46m |
| December | 9:08 AM | 10:02 AM | 11:45 AM | 2:35 PM | 4:18 PM | 5:12 PM | 6h 16m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 1.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 54 | 68 | 71 | 74 | 72 | 66 | 52 | 47 | 44 |
| Low °F | -16 | -6 | -8 | 5 | 20 | 38 | 42 | 40 | 30 | 10 | -11 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.3 | 6.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 7.3 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Douglas, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Douglas?
What time is golden hour at Mount Douglas?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Douglas?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Douglas?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Douglas?
How far is Mount Douglas from Kodiak?
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.