Located in Snohomish County, Washington, Glacier Peak is a mountain peak at about 3,180 m (10,433 ft) above sea level. It is part of Glacier Peak Wilderness. The nearest town is Darrington, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Glacier Peak lies ESE of town).
Glacier Peak or Dakobed (known in the Sauk-Suiattle dialect of the Lushootseed language as "Tda-ko-buh-ba" or "Takobia") is a stratovolcano in the U.S state of Washington. Located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness in Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest, the volcano is visible from the west in Seattle, and from the north in the higher areas of eastern suburbs of Vancouver such as Coquitlam, New Westminster and Port Coquitlam. The volcano is the fourth tallest peak in Washington state and the most isolated volcano of the Cascade Volcanic Arc.From the Wikipedia article “Glacier Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glacier 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 308° (NW) in June to 235° (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) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 52° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:14 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 21m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:23 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:18 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 23m |
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 Glacier 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 | 3:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 2:52 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:21 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:47 PM – 12:47 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:45 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 ≈ 21.59 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 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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Glacier Peak, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Glacier
Glacier
Hot Spring
Volcano
Fire Lookout
Mountain PeakHot Spring
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sulphur Creek Campground16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Bedal Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Alpine Meadows Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Suiattle Guard Station23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Buck Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glacier Peak?
What time is golden hour at Glacier Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glacier Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glacier Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glacier Peak?
How far is Glacier Peak from Darrington?
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.