Located in Yakima County, Washington, Mount Adams is a mountain peak at about 3,745 m (12,287 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is White Salmon, about 53 km (33 mi) away (Mount Adams lies N of town).
Mount Adams is a stratovolcano located in the Cascade Range of Washington, United States. Standing at 12,276 ft (3,742 m) feet, it is the second-highest mountain in Washington and a prominent feature within the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which formed as a result of the subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate beneath the North American Plate. Adams is near two more-frequently erupting neighbors, Mount St Helens and Mount Rainier. It has twelve named glaciers descending its slopes. Geologically, Mount Adams first formed in the Pleistocene. Its construction involved multiple eruptive phases, the first around 500,000 years ago, followed by the development of the modern cone around 10,000 years ago. The last known lava flow was approximately 1,000 years ago. The volcano has the potential for future hazards, including lahars, pyroclastic flows, and ashfall. Its deeply eroded flanks drain into...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Adams (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Adams 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° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 54° NE | 9:02 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:23 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:45 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 38m |
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 Mount Adams, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:24 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:08 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:25 PM – 1:15 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:06 PM | 0.8 | 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 | — | -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 ≈ 21.63 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 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Adams, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
National ForestWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Lake
Mountain Pass
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Takhlakh Lake Campground 12.0 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Adams Fork Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Gotchen Guard Station23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Walupt Lake Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Creek Cg (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Adams?
What time is golden hour at Mount Adams?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Adams?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Adams?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Adams?
How far is Mount Adams from White Salmon?
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.