Mox Peaks is a mountain peak in Whatcom County, Washington at about 2,496 m (8,189 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 84 km (52 mi) ENE of Sudden Valley.
Mox Peaks (8,504 feet (2,592 m)) is in North Cascades National Park in the U.S. state of Washington. Located in the northern section of the park, Mox Peaks consist of several summits in close proximity to each other that are nearly the same altitude, but the highest point is the eastern peak. Mox Peaks West looms just to the southeast of Redoubt Glacier and is at the southern terminus of a long arête which extends 1.75 mi (2.82 km) to Mount Spickard to the northeast. A deep col lies between Mox Peaks High Point and Mox Peaks West.From the Wikipedia article “Mox Peaks”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mox Peaks 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 309° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 64° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 52° NE | 9:13 PM | 309° NW | 64° | 16h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 126° SE | 4:11 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:54 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:19 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:54 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:37 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 10m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:46 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Mox Peaks, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 3:56 AM – 4:06 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:05 AM – 2:45 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:25 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:06 AM – 12:36 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:33 PM – 10:33 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mox Peaks, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mox Peaks?
What time is golden hour at Mox Peaks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mox Peaks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mox Peaks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mox Peaks?
How far is Mox Peaks from Sudden Valley?
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.