Mount Drum — a mountain peak in Copper River Census Area, Alaska at about 3,530 m (11,581 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Mount Drum is a stratovolcano in the Wrangell Mountains of east-central Alaska in the United States. It is located at the extreme western end of the Wrangells, 18 miles (29 km) west-southwest of Mount Sanford and the same distance west-northwest of Mount Wrangell. It lies just inside the western boundary of Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve and is 25 miles (40 km) east of the Copper River.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Drum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Drum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 29° (NNE) at the June solstice and 146° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 332° (NNW) in June to 215° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 51° in summer but only 4° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:53 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:47 AM | 29° NNE | 11:35 PM | 332° NNW | 51° | 19h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 88° E | 7:41 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:05 AM | 146° SE | 3:10 PM | 215° SW | 4° | 5h 06m |
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 | 8:46 AM | 9:45 AM | 11:50 AM | 1:47 PM | 3:52 PM | 4:52 PM | 6h 08m |
| February | 7:38 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:36 AM | 4:11 PM | 5:22 PM | 6:09 PM | 8h 56m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:56 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:24 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 5:24 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:02 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:54 PM | 14h 49m |
| May | 3:27 AM | 4:44 AM | 5:59 AM | 9:13 PM | 10:27 PM | 11:45 PM | 17h 43m |
| June | — | 3:48 AM | 5:21 AM | 9:59 PM | 11:32 PM | — | 19h 45m |
| July | 2:26 AM | 4:21 AM | 5:44 AM | 9:46 PM | 11:09 PM | 1:04 AM | 18h 48m |
| August | 4:46 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:42 PM | 16h 01m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:05 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:49 PM | 12h 59m |
| October | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:28 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:26 PM | 7:11 PM | 10h 02m |
| November | 7:58 AM | 8:52 AM | 10:26 AM | 2:22 PM | 3:56 PM | 4:50 PM | 7h 04m |
| December | 8:54 AM | 9:59 AM | — | — | 3:10 PM | 4:16 PM | 5h 10m |
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 | — | -13° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| 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 53% average cloud cover) and July 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 | 36 | 35 | 47 | 52 | 72 | 78 | 76 | 76 | 62 | 56 | 35 | 34 |
| Low °F | -37 | -36 | -39 | -17 | 8 | 23 | 33 | 23 | 7 | -14 | -31 | -33 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.4 |
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
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Drum?
What time is golden hour at Mount Drum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Drum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Drum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Drum?
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.