Abercrombie Mountain is a mountain peak in Stevens County, Washington at about 2,203 m (7,228 ft) above sea level. It is part of Colville National Forest. The nearest town is Colville, about 54 km (33 mi) away (Abercrombie Mountain lies NE of town).
Abercrombie Mountain is a tall peak in the Selkirk Mountains of northeast Washington located within the Colville National Forest. At 7,310 feet (2,228 m) in elevation, it is the highest point in Stevens County, and the second highest peak in eastern Washington. Gypsy Peak, within the Salmo-Priest Wilderness is at least 10 feet (3.0 m) taller. With a prominence of 5,168 feet (1,575 m), Abercrombie Mountain is one of the ultra prominent peaks in the United States, and is the 7th most prominent peak in the state of Washington. Abercrombie Peak was named for Lieutenant William R. Abercrombie, who explored the nearby Pend Oreille River in 1879 and 1883.From the Wikipedia article “Abercrombie Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Abercrombie Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:47 AM | 52° NE | 8:58 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 126° SE | 3:56 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:26 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:31 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:04 AM | 4:46 AM | 5:36 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:39 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:22 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:08 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:33 AM | 2:59 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:31 PM | 8h 16m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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
From Abercrombie Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 3:41 AM – 3:51 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:50 AM – 2:30 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:40 PM – 2:10 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:51 PM – 12:21 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 37 | 49 | 63 | 75 | 87 | 98 | 101 | 103 | 94 | 82 | 57 | 41 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -15 | 15 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 39 | 26 | 9 | -23 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Abercrombie Mountain, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Cave
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- West Sullivan14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- East Sullivan14.9 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Edgewater Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Noisy Creek21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Abercrombie Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Abercrombie Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Abercrombie Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Abercrombie Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Abercrombie Mountain?
How far is Abercrombie Mountain from Colville?
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.