Mount Aix — a mountain peak in Yakima County, Washington at about 2,349 m (7,707 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of William O. Douglas Wilderness. It sits roughly 40 km (25 mi) WNW of Tieton.
Mount Aix is a 7,766-foot (2,367 m) mountain summit in Yakima County of Washington state.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Aix”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Aix the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (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) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 54° NE | 9:04 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 125° SE | 4:20 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 8:35 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Aix, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:25 AM – 4:15 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:31 AM – 3:01 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:53 PM – 2:13 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:30 PM – 1:10 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 11:08 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| 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 ≈ 21.55 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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
- 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 Mount Aix, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Fire LookoutWaterfall
Mountain Pass
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bumping Lake Campground7.6 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Flat13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Soda Springs Campground (Bumping River, Wa)14.9 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Campground (Washington)16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Indian Creek Campground (Wa)16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Aix?
What time is golden hour at Mount Aix?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Aix?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Aix?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Aix?
How far is Mount Aix from Tieton?
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.