University Peak is a mountain peak in Copper River Census Area, Alaska at about 4,276 m (14,029 ft) above sea level. It is part of Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
University Peak is a high peak in the Saint Elias Mountains of Alaska. It is one of the twenty highest peaks in Alaska [1], and one of the fifty highest peaks in the United States[2]. It can be considered a southern outlier of the large massif of Mount Bona. However, it is a much steeper peak than Bona, and presents significant climbing challenges of its own. The peak was named by Terris Moore during the first ascent of Mount Bona; the name refers to the University of Alaska.From the Wikipedia article “University Peak (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At University Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 31° (NNE) at the June solstice and 144° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 329° (NNW) in June to 217° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:47 AM | 31° NNE | 11:12 PM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 88° E | 7:29 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:44 AM | 144° SE | 3:08 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 24m |
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 | 8:30 AM | 9:26 AM | 11:16 AM | 1:58 PM | 3:48 PM | 4:45 PM | 6h 22m |
| February | 7:25 AM | 8:11 AM | 9:19 AM | 4:05 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 03m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:43 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:17 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 43m |
| May | 3:28 AM | 4:39 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:58 PM | 10:09 PM | 11:20 PM | 17h 30m |
| June | — | 3:48 AM | 5:15 AM | 9:42 PM | 11:09 PM | — | 19h 22m |
| July | 2:43 AM | 4:18 AM | 5:37 AM | 9:30 PM | 10:49 PM | 12:24 AM | 18h 30m |
| August | 4:41 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:24 PM | 15h 53m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 8:10 AM | 9:13 AM | 5:14 PM | 6:17 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 06m |
| November | 7:43 AM | 8:35 AM | 10:03 AM | 2:23 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:42 PM | 7h 16m |
| December | 8:37 AM | 9:39 AM | — | — | 3:08 PM | 4:10 PM | 5h 29m |
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 | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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 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 62% average cloud cover) and June 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 | 29 | 35 | 42 | 45 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 44 | 43 | 31 | 29 |
| Low °F | -46 | -46 | -51 | -23 | -4 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 3 | -21 | -34 | -39 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 University Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
GlacierFAQ
When is the best time to photograph University Peak?
What time is golden hour at University Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at University Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from University Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at University Peak?
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.