Located in Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom Peak is a mountain peak at about 2,067 m (6,781 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to North Cascades National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 57 km (35 mi) E of Peaceful Valley.
Whatcom Peak (7,574 feet (2,309 m)) is in North Cascades National Park in the U.S. state of Washington. Whatcom Peak is .50 mi (0.80 km) north of Challenger Glacier and the Whatcom Glacier descends from the northeast slopes of the peak. An unnamed hanging glacier descends along the northwest flank of the peak. This mountain is set between Mount Challenger and Easy Peak.From the Wikipedia article “Whatcom Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whatcom Peak 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 65° 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) | 5:03 AM | 52° NE | 9:14 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 126° SE | 4:12 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 15m |
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 | 3:45 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 16m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:52 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:54 PM | 16h 09m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 17m |
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 Whatcom Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:56 AM – 4:06 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:53 AM – 2:43 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 2:34 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:02 AM – 12:42 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 10:32 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 ≈ 21.77 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Whatcom Peak, closest first.
GlacierMountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Shannon Creek Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Newhalem Creek Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Lower Goodell Group Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Upper Goodell Group Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Goodell Creek Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whatcom Peak?
What time is golden hour at Whatcom Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whatcom Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whatcom Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whatcom Peak?
How far is Whatcom Peak from Peaceful 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.