Mount Anderson — a mountain peak in Jefferson County, Washington at about 2,234 m (7,329 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Olympic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Seabeck, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Mount Anderson lies WNW of town).
Mount Anderson is a 7,330-foot-high (2,234 m) peak in the Olympic Mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Rising in the center of Olympic National Park in Washington state, it is the second highest peak on the Anderson Massif, after West Peak. Anderson Glacier used to be located in a cirque on the mountain's southern flank while Eel Glacier is in another cirque, northwest of the summit. Hanging Glacier is on the east side of a ridge which extends north from the peak. Anderson is at the center of three major watersheds in the Olympic Range. Most of the water which falls on the massif flows into the Dosewallips River which drains, by way of the Hood Canal, into Puget Sound. The drainage from the west side flows down the Quinault River and into the Pacific, while some of the water on the mountain's northwest side flows into the Hayes River which finds its way north, to the Strait of Juan de...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Anderson (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Anderson the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 53° NE | 9:16 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 125° SE | 4:24 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Anderson, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 | 3:48 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:23 AM – 2:03 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:02 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 11:02 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.36 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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.
- 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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Anderson, closest first.
Glacier
Glacier
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hamma Hamma Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Hamma Hamma Cabin22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Staircase Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Collins Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Interrorem Cabin26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Anderson?
What time is golden hour at Mount Anderson?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Anderson?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Anderson?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Anderson?
How far is Mount Anderson from Seabeck?
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.