Mount Erie is a mountain peak in Skagit County, Washington at about 386 m (1,266 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Anacortes, about 6.6 km (4.1 mi) away (Mount Erie lies S of town).
Mount Erie is a mountain on Fidalgo Island in Skagit County, Washington, United States. It is on public park land owned and managed by the city of Anacortes and is located in the south of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. Mount Erie was named in 1841 by the Wilkes Expedition for the Battle of Lake Erie. The mountain itself was first explored in the 1960s by local climbers, including Dallas Kloke. It is known for its climbing as well as the view from the summit. The summit is accessible via a single-lane, paved road from the base. At 1,273 feet (388 m) tall, Mount Erie is the highest point on Fidalgo Island. On a clear day, Mount Baker, about 43 miles (69 km) to the northeast, and Mount Rainier, about 117 miles (188 km) to the southeast, can be seen from the summit.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Erie (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Erie 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 234° (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) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 52° NE | 9:17 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 126° SE | 4:19 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 18m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 46m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 13m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:56 PM | 16h 05m |
| July | 4:46 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:51 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 20m |
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 Erie, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:00 AM – 4:20 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:55 AM – 2:55 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:49 AM – 1:29 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:02 AM – 12:42 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 10:45 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.59 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 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 68 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 78 | 64 | 58 |
| Low °F | 10 | 15 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Erie, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
LighthouseLighthouse
Beach
State ParkLighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Erie?
What time is golden hour at Mount Erie?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Erie?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Erie?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Erie?
How far is Mount Erie from Anacortes?
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.