Chimney Rock is a mountain peak in Kittitas County, Washington at about 2,316 m (7,598 ft) above sea level. It is part of Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The nearest town is Tanner, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Chimney Rock lies E of town).
Chimney Rock is a mountain located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Central Cascade Range in western Washington, United States. The mountain has two main summits, a northeast spire ("north peak") (7,634 feet (2,327 m)) and a central spire (7,727 feet (2,355 m)), as well as a minor south peak (7,440 feet (2,270 m)). Situated 10 miles NNE of Snoqualmie Pass, with its craggy appearance Chimney Rock is the most distinctive peak on the crest dividing the Snoqualmie River and Yakima River drainage areas. Lemah Mountain (7,480 feet (2,280 m)) is to the south on the crest, and Summit Chief Mountain (7,464 feet (2,275 m)) to the northeast. Overcoat Peak (7,432 feet (2,265 m)) is off the main ridge just to the north of Chimney Rock. The mountain has three glaciers: the Overcoat Glacier on the north, the Chimney Glacier on the south and east, and an unnamed glacier on the east side of...From the Wikipedia article “Chimney Rock (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chimney Rock the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 53° NE | 9:07 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:17 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Chimney Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:39 AM – 4:19 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:38 AM – 2:58 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:09 AM – 1:59 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:40 PM – 1:00 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 10:52 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.3 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 July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chimney Rock, closest first.
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Lake
Hot SpringWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Denny Creek Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Kachess17.4 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Salmon La Sac18.3 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Cayuse Horse Camp18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
- Middle Fork Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chimney Rock?
What time is golden hour at Chimney Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chimney Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chimney Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chimney Rock?
How far is Chimney Rock from Tanner?
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.