Mount Gilbert — a mountain peak in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska at about 753 m (2,470 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Akutan, about 15.0 km (9.3 mi) away (Mount Gilbert lies NNE of town).
Mount Gilbert is a volcano which forms the northern part of Akun Island in the eastern Aleutian Islands, USA. Active fumaroles were documented 1 mi (1.5 km) northeast of the summit in the early 1900s.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Gilbert (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Gilbert the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 46° (NE) at the June solstice and 132° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 315° (NW) in June to 229° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 59° in summer but only 12° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 9:05 AM | 89° E | 9:16 PM | 271° W | 36° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:29 AM | 46° NE | 11:41 PM | 315° NW | 59° | 17h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:49 AM | 89° E | 9:03 PM | 272° W | 36° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:22 AM | 132° SE | 5:41 PM | 229° SW | 12° | 7h 19m |
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 | 9:33 AM | 10:15 AM | 11:19 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:52 PM | 7h 56m |
| February | 8:47 AM | 9:24 AM | 10:16 AM | 6:20 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 9h 48m |
| March | 8:42 AM | 9:18 AM | 10:05 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:42 PM | 11h 49m |
| April | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:49 AM | 9:17 PM | 10:05 PM | 10:43 PM | 14h 04m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:53 AM | 10:07 PM | 11:01 PM | 11:47 PM | 16h 02m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:29 AM | 10:39 PM | 11:39 PM | 12:34 AM | 17h 10m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:46 AM | 10:32 PM | 11:29 PM | 12:20 AM | 16h 40m |
| August | 7:00 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:31 AM | 9:45 PM | 10:35 PM | 11:16 PM | 14h 54m |
| September | 8:01 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:24 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:57 PM | 12h 44m |
| October | 8:56 AM | 9:32 AM | 10:21 AM | 7:17 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:42 PM | 10h 34m |
| November | 8:53 AM | 9:33 AM | 10:32 AM | 5:05 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:44 PM | 8h 31m |
| December | 9:34 AM | 10:18 AM | 11:28 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:24 PM | 7h 22m |
Local time (America/Nome), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| 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 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 88% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (93%). 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 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 59 | 58 | 52 | 49 | 45 |
| Low °F | 16 | 15 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 39 | 44 | 41 | 34 | 28 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Gilbert, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Gilbert?
What time is golden hour at Mount Gilbert?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Gilbert?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Gilbert?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Gilbert?
How far is Mount Gilbert from Akutan?
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.