American Border Peak is a mountain peak in Whatcom County, Washington at about 2,436 m (7,992 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Peaceful Valley, about 36 km (22 mi) away (American Border Peak lies E of town).
American Border Peak is a mountain just south of the Canada–United States border, in the North Cascades of Washington state, with a corresponding sister peak, Canadian Border Peak, just north along a col connecting to it across the border. It is located within the Mount Baker Wilderness, part of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, near North Cascades National Park. It is notable for its large, steep local relief; however its somewhat rotten rock makes it less appealing to climbers than nearby Slesse Mountain.From the Wikipedia article “American Border Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At American Border Peak 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 64° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 52° NE | 9:15 PM | 309° NW | 64° | 16h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 126° SE | 4:12 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 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 | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 41m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:27 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 11m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 43m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:53 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:56 PM | 16h 11m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 48m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 50m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 10m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 15m |
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 American Border Peak, 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 3:58 AM – 4:08 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:07 AM – 2:47 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 2:27 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:08 AM – 12:38 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 10:35 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). August 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 American Border Peak, closest first.
Lake
Fire Lookout
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Lake
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Fir Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Excelsior Group Camp14.9 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Douglas Fir Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Shannon Creek Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Park Creek Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph American Border Peak?
What time is golden hour at American Border Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at American Border Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from American Border Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at American Border Peak?
How far is American Border Peak from Peaceful Valley?
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.