Located in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, Mount Marathon is a mountain peak at about 1,257 m (4,124 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 3.6 km (2.2 mi) WNW of Seward.
Mount Marathon, or officially Marathon Mountain, is a 4,826-foot (1,471 m) mountain summit directly west of Seward in the Kenai Mountains in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, rising above Resurrection Bay, 2.35 mi (4 km) south of Mount Benson, and 2 mi (3 km) north of Bear Mountain. The namesake of the mountain is the Mount Marathon Race held every Fourth of July.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Marathon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Marathon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 35° (NE) at the June solstice and 141° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 326° (NW) in June to 220° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:00 AM | 89° E | 8:13 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:33 AM | 35° NE | 11:28 PM | 326° NW | 53° | 18h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:43 AM | 88° E | 8:00 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:02 AM | 141° SE | 3:52 PM | 220° SW | 6° | 5h 50m |
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 | 8:54 AM | 9:47 AM | 11:22 AM | 2:54 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:22 PM | 6h 42m |
| February | 7:53 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:42 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:33 PM | 9h 12m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:11 AM | 7:05 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:16 PM | 10:03 PM | 14h 35m |
| May | 4:15 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:27 AM | 9:23 PM | 10:31 PM | 11:35 PM | 17h 11m |
| June | 2:47 AM | 4:34 AM | 5:54 AM | 10:05 PM | 11:25 PM | 1:12 AM | 18h 52m |
| July | 3:42 AM | 5:02 AM | 6:15 AM | 9:54 PM | 11:08 PM | 12:27 AM | 18h 06m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:53 PM | 9:54 PM | 10:45 PM | 15h 41m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:21 PM | 9:04 PM | 12h 54m |
| October | 7:56 AM | 8:38 AM | 9:38 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:33 PM | 10h 12m |
| November | 8:09 AM | 8:58 AM | 10:18 AM | 3:09 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:19 PM | 7h 31m |
| December | 9:00 AM | 9:57 AM | 12:05 PM | 1:43 PM | 3:51 PM | 4:49 PM | 5h 54m |
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 | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.12 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.0+ 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 69% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 34 | 37 | 46 | 59 | 76 | 77 | 75 | 62 | 49 | 41 | 36 |
| Low °F | -22 | -18 | -24 | -3 | 13 | 30 | 35 | 32 | 23 | -2 | -15 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.1 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 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
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- 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.
- 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 Marathon, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Lake
Glacier
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dale Clemens Cabin10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Primrose Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Kenai Fjords National Park Cabins27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Marathon?
What time is golden hour at Mount Marathon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Marathon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Marathon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Marathon?
How far is Mount Marathon from Seward?
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.