Located in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, Mount Shishaldin is a mountain peak. It is part of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
Shishaldin Volcano, or Mount Shishaldin (), is one of six active volcanoes on Unimak Island in the eastern Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is the highest mountain peak of the Aleutian Islands, rising to a height of 9,373 ft (2,857 m) above sea level. It is located within Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Shishaldin's magma supply is generated via flux melting above the Aleutian Trench, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate. Due to its remote location and frequently inclement weather, the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) monitors the volcano remotely via satellite and a seismic network deployed in 1997. Shishaldin is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands, with 40 confirmed eruptions in the last 11,700 years. Notably, Shishaldin produced a sub-Plinian (VEI 3) eruption in 1999.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Shishaldin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Shishaldin the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 45° (NE) at the June solstice and 132° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 315° (NW) in June to 228° (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) | 8:59 AM | 89° E | 9:10 PM | 271° W | 35° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:19 AM | 45° NE | 11:38 PM | 315° NW | 59° | 17h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:42 AM | 89° E | 8:56 PM | 272° W | 35° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:18 AM | 132° SE | 5:31 PM | 228° SW | 12° | 7h 13m |
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 | 9:28 AM | 10:11 AM | 11:17 AM | 4:55 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:44 PM | 7h 50m |
| February | 8:41 AM | 9:18 AM | 10:11 AM | 6:11 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 9h 45m |
| March | 8:35 AM | 9:11 AM | 9:59 AM | 8:12 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 11h 49m |
| April | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:11 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:38 PM | 14h 06m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:45 AM | 10:02 PM | 10:56 PM | 11:44 PM | 16h 06m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:20 AM | 10:35 PM | 11:36 PM | 12:33 AM | 17h 17m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:38 AM | 10:27 PM | 11:25 PM | 12:17 AM | 16h 46m |
| August | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:39 PM | 10:30 PM | 11:12 PM | 14h 58m |
| September | 7:53 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:17 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:51 PM | 12h 45m |
| October | 8:49 AM | 9:26 AM | 10:16 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:35 PM | 10h 33m |
| November | 8:47 AM | 9:28 AM | 10:28 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:35 PM | 8h 27m |
| December | 9:29 AM | 10:14 AM | 11:27 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:15 PM | 7h 16m |
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
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 | — | -9° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 4.5+ 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 82% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (89%). 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 | 42 | 43 | 45 | 57 | 57 | 62 | 63 | 61 | 52 | 49 | 46 |
| Low °F | 14 | 14 | 13 | 20 | 27 | 34 | 40 | 44 | 39 | 32 | 25 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.9 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 5.1 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Shishaldin, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain Peak
VolcanoFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Shishaldin?
What time is golden hour at Mount Shishaldin?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Shishaldin?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Shishaldin?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Shishaldin?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.