Mount Sanford is a mountain peak in Copper River Census Area, Alaska at about 4,943 m (16,217 ft) above sea level. It is part of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Mount Sanford is a shield volcano in the Wrangell Volcanic Field, in eastern Alaska near the Copper River. It is the sixth highest mountain in the United States and the third highest volcano behind Mount Bona and Mount Blackburn. The south face of the volcano, at the head of the Sanford Glacier, rises 8,000 feet (2,400 m) in 1 mile (1,600 m) resulting in one of the steepest gradients in North America.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Sanford (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Sanford the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 28° (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) | 7:38 AM | 89° E | 7:51 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:43 AM | 28° NNE | 11:35 PM | 332° NNW | 51° | 19h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:21 AM | 88° E | 7:39 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 18m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:04 AM | 146° SE | 3:07 PM | 215° SW | 4° | 5h 04m |
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 | 8:44 AM | 9:44 AM | 11:52 AM | 1:41 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:49 PM | 6h 06m |
| February | 7:36 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:35 AM | 4:08 PM | 5:19 PM | 6:07 PM | 8h 55m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:54 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 43m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:01 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:53 PM | 14h 49m |
| May | 3:23 AM | 4:41 AM | 5:56 AM | 9:11 PM | 10:26 PM | 11:44 PM | 17h 45m |
| June | — | 3:44 AM | 5:18 AM | 9:58 PM | 11:32 PM | — | 19h 47m |
| July | 2:19 AM | 4:18 AM | 5:42 AM | 9:45 PM | 11:08 PM | 1:07 AM | 18h 50m |
| August | 4:43 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:43 PM | 10:41 PM | 16h 02m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:03 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:48 PM | 12h 59m |
| October | 7:37 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:27 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:24 PM | 7:09 PM | 10h 02m |
| November | 7:56 AM | 8:51 AM | 10:25 AM | 2:19 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:48 PM | 7h 03m |
| December | 8:52 AM | 9:59 AM | — | — | 3:07 PM | 4:13 PM | 5h 08m |
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 | — | -9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- 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.
- 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 Sanford, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Sanford?
What time is golden hour at Mount Sanford?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Sanford?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Sanford?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Sanford?
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.