Ugashik-Peulik — a mountain peak in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Kodiak, about 235 km (146 mi) away (Ugashik-Peulik lies W of town).
Ugashik-Peulik is a volcanic complex in the U.S. state of Alaska, which includes the stratovolcano of Mount Peulik and the adjacent Ugashik caldera. It is located to the south of Becharof Lake in Lake and Peninsula Borough on the Alaska Peninsula. It is part of the Aleutian Range. There are reports of eruptions at the complex in 1814 and 1852, but both are questionable.From the Wikipedia article “Ugashik-Peulik”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ugashik-Peulik the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 40° (NE) at the June solstice and 136° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 320° (NW) in June to 224° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 9° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:28 AM | 89° E | 8:40 PM | 271° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 40° NE | 11:31 PM | 320° NW | 56° | 18h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:11 AM | 88° E | 8:27 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:09 AM | 136° SE | 4:40 PM | 224° SW | 9° | 6h 31m |
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 | 9:10 AM | 9:58 AM | 11:16 AM | 3:55 PM | 5:13 PM | 6:01 PM | 7h 16m |
| February | 8:16 AM | 8:57 AM | 9:55 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:25 PM | 7:05 PM | 9h 28m |
| March | 8:03 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:34 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:07 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:37 PM | 10:19 PM | 14h 21m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:04 AM | 9:41 PM | 10:42 PM | 11:37 PM | 16h 39m |
| June | 4:12 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:35 AM | 10:19 PM | 11:29 PM | 12:42 AM | 18h 04m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:54 AM | 10:10 PM | 11:15 PM | 12:18 AM | 17h 26m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:47 AM | 9:15 PM | 10:11 PM | 10:57 PM | 15h 20m |
| September | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:48 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:26 PM | 12h 50m |
| October | 8:21 AM | 9:01 AM | 9:56 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 10h 22m |
| November | 8:27 AM | 9:12 AM | 10:21 AM | 4:01 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:55 PM | 7h 58m |
| December | 9:13 AM | 10:04 AM | 11:36 AM | 3:07 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:30 PM | 6h 34m |
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 | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| 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 2.5+ 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 73% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (86%). August 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 | 43 | 43 | 45 | 55 | 65 | 74 | 76 | 75 | 64 | 54 | 49 | 45 |
| Low °F | -17 | -15 | -9 | 8 | 25 | 35 | 41 | 42 | 32 | 8 | -5 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Ugashik-Peulik, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ugashik-Peulik?
What time is golden hour at Ugashik-Peulik?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ugashik-Peulik?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ugashik-Peulik?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ugashik-Peulik?
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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.