Located in King County, Washington, Mount Si is a mountain peak at about 1,254 m (4,114 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Tanner, about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) away (Mount Si lies N of town).
Mount Si (pronounced ; Lushootseed: q̓əlbc, CULB-ts) is a mountain in the northwest United States, east of Seattle, Washington. It lies on the western margin of the Cascade Range just above the coastal plains around Puget Sound, and towers over the nearby town of North Bend. Mount Si and neighboring mountain Little Si were named after local homesteader Josiah "Uncle Si" Merritt. The mountain became nationally familiar in the early 1990s by appearing in the opening credits of the television series Twin Peaks, which was filmed in North Bend. Only about a 45-minute drive from Seattle, the mountain is a favorite outdoor destination for residents of nearby metropolitan areas. Between 80,000 and 100,000 hikers visit the mountain annually. The land is owned by the state of Washington and has been designated a Natural Resources Conservation Area.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Si”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Si 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 307° (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) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 53° NE | 9:09 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 125° SE | 4:19 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 3:53 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:29 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Si, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| 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 | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:40 AM – 3:00 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:11 AM – 2:01 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:42 PM – 1:02 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 10:54 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.87 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
- 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.
- 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 Si, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Mountain Peak
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Middle Fork Campground15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Tinkham Campground17.5 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Denny Creek Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Si?
What time is golden hour at Mount Si?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Si?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Si?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Si?
How far is Mount Si from Tanner?
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.