Located in Snohomish County, Washington, Columbia Peak is a mountain peak at about 2,177 m (7,142 ft) above sea level. It is part of Henry M. Jackson Wilderness. The nearest town is Gold Bar, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Columbia Peak lies ENE of town).
Columbia Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the U.S. state of Washington. Columbia Peak rises to 7,172 feet (2,186 m). Together with Monte Cristo Peak and Kyes Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Columbia Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Columbia Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° 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) | 5:07 AM | 53° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:16 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:25 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:55 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 24m |
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 Columbia Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 2:53 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:22 AM – 1:42 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:48 PM – 12:48 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 10:46 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.34 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.
- 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.
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 Columbia Peak, closest first.
Glacier
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
Ghost Town
LakeWaterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Troublesome Creek Campground7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Bedal Campground15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Evergreen Mountain Lookout15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Coal Creek Group Camp19.9 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Heybrook Lookout21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Columbia Peak?
What time is golden hour at Columbia Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Columbia Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Columbia Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Columbia Peak?
How far is Columbia Peak from Gold Bar?
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.