Mount Index — a mountain peak in King County, Washington at about 1,813 m (5,948 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.6 km (7.8 mi) SE of Gold Bar.
Mount Index is a peak in the central part of the Cascade Range in King County, Washington, United States. It lies just south of the Skykomish River and U.S. Route 2, at the western edge of the Cascades. Mount Index features a low elevation relative to peaks higher in the Cascades, and a topographic prominence. It comprises three pointed spires which rise steeply from a very low base. The main peak is the southernmost of the three, while the North Peak rises even more steeply above the valley. For example, it rises more than 4,250 ft (1,300 m) above the lower slopes on the northeast side in less than 1 horizontal mile (1.6 km). The first recorded ascent of Mount Index (the main peak) was on October 29, 1911, by H. B. Hinman, Ernest Martin, Lee Pickett, George E. Wright. However, they found a flagpole already on the summit, so theirs was certainly not the first ascent. A much earlier...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Index”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Index 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) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:09 AM | 53° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 125° SE | 4:17 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:57 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 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 Index, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | 3:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:16 AM – 1:56 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:45 PM – 12:55 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:55 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: 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 ≈ 20.89 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 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Index, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Heybrook Lookout5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Money Creek Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Miller River Group Camp16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Beckler River Campground19.1 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Troublesome Creek Campground19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Index?
What time is golden hour at Mount Index?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Index?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Index?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Index?
How far is Mount Index from Gold Bar?
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.