Greenleaf Peak is a mountain peak in Skamania County, Washington at about 1,011 m (3,317 ft) above sea level. It is part of Table Mountain Natural Resources Conservation Area. The nearest town is Stevenson, about 6.7 km (4.2 mi) away (Greenleaf Peak lies WNW of town).
Greenleaf Peak is a mountain in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Washington, located on the north side of the Columbia River near Table Mountain, in the Columbia River Gorge. The peak lies within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area near Bonneville Dam. It is 3,424 feet (1,044 m) in elevation. Botanist David Douglas climbed to the summit in September 1825, making this the first recorded mountain ascent in what is now Washington state.From the Wikipedia article “Greenleaf Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Greenleaf Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 54° NE | 9:02 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:27 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 40m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Greenleaf Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:13 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.22 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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 Greenleaf Peak, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringHot Spring
State Park
Rock Formation
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Creek Campground8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Panther Creek Campground13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Wyeth Campground15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Greenleaf Peak?
What time is golden hour at Greenleaf Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Greenleaf Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Greenleaf Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Greenleaf Peak?
How far is Greenleaf Peak from Stevenson?
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.