Mount Pilchuck — a mountain peak in Snohomish County, Washington at about 1,584 m (5,197 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Mount Pilchuck State Park. The nearest town is Granite Falls, about 13.0 km (8.1 mi) away (Mount Pilchuck lies ESE of town).
Mount Pilchuck (Lushootseed: bəlalgʷəʔ) is a mountain located in Snohomish County, Washington. It is 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Seattle. It is part of the Cascade Range. Mount Pilchuck is located within Mount Pilchuck State Park, but the area surrounding the mountain, including the trailhead, are within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Under agreement, the trail leading to the summit is wholly maintained by the United States Forest Service (USFS), even though it is within a state park. During the winter off-season, the USFS closes the access road leading to the mountain beyond the Heather Lake trailhead. This is one of the most popular trails in the region due to easy access, and panoramic views of the Cascade range to the east, and Puget Sound to the west. At Mount Pilchuck's summit is an old fire lookout tower, now used as shelter for hikers. This former lookout is...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Pilchuck”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Pilchuck the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:11 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 126° SE | 4:17 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:44 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:51 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 23m |
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 Pilchuck, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 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 | 3:43 AM – 4:13 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 2:55 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:24 AM – 1:44 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:50 PM – 12:50 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 10:48 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.74 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 42% average cloud cover) and November 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Pilchuck, closest first.
Fire LookoutState Park
Lake
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Verlot Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi) · reservable
- Tulalip Mill Site Group Campground4.0 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Turlo Campground4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Gold Basin Campground5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Wiley Creek Group Camp6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Pilchuck?
What time is golden hour at Mount Pilchuck?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Pilchuck?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Pilchuck?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Pilchuck?
How far is Mount Pilchuck from Granite Falls?
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.