Mount Russell is a mountain peak in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska at about 3,438 m (11,280 ft) above sea level. It is part of Denali National Park and Preserve. It sits roughly 176 km (109 mi) NW of Meadow Lakes.
Mount Russell is one of the major peaks of the central Alaska Range, approximately 35 mi (56 km) southwest of Denali. Though much lower than Denali or its neighbor Mount Foraker, Russell is a steep, dramatic peak and a significant mountaineering challenge in its own right. To give a sense of its size and steepness, note that its summit rises 6,560 ft (2,000 m) over the Chedotlothna Glacier to the northwest in only 1.8 mi (2.9 km), and almost 10,000 ft (3,000 m) above the lower Yentna Glacier to the south in only 8 mi (13 km). Mount Russell is the highest point in the Kuskokwim River watershed.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Russell (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Russell the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 26° (NNE) at the June solstice and 148° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 334° (NNW) in June to 213° (SSW) 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) | 8:09 AM | 89° E | 8:23 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:04 AM | 26° NNE | 12:16 AM | 334° NNW | 51° | 20h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:52 AM | 88° E | 8:10 PM | 272° W | 27° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:42 AM | 148° SSE | 3:31 PM | 213° SSW | 4° | 4h 48m |
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 | 9:19 AM | 10:20 AM | 12:54 PM | 1:41 PM | 4:15 PM | 5:16 PM | 5h 54m |
| February | 8:09 AM | 8:57 AM | 10:10 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:36 PM | 8h 51m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:27 AM | 7:08 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:35 PM | 10:27 PM | 14h 54m |
| May | 3:43 AM | 5:07 AM | 6:24 AM | 9:46 PM | 11:03 PM | 12:26 AM | 17h 56m |
| June | — | 4:05 AM | 5:44 AM | 10:33 PM | 12:12 AM | — | 20h 07m |
| July | — | 4:42 AM | 6:09 AM | 10:19 PM | 11:47 PM | — | 19h 05m |
| August | 5:09 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:15 AM | 9:10 PM | 10:17 PM | 11:17 PM | 16h 09m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:20 PM | 13h 00m |
| October | 8:08 AM | 8:55 AM | 10:01 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:39 PM | 9h 58m |
| November | 8:30 AM | 9:26 AM | 11:07 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:20 PM | 5:16 PM | 6h 54m |
| December | 9:28 AM | 10:37 AM | — | — | 3:30 PM | 4:39 PM | 4h 53m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 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 (81%). 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 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 62 | 73 | 73 | 75 | 63 | 50 | 36 | 33 |
| Low °F | -30 | -27 | -27 | -12 | 6 | 23 | 37 | 28 | 13 | -8 | -21 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 6.1 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 5.7 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
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.
- 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 Russell, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Russell?
What time is golden hour at Mount Russell?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Russell?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Russell?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Russell?
How far is Mount Russell from Meadow Lakes?
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.