Early Winters Spires — a rock formation in Okanogan County, Washington — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Arlington, about 114 km (71 mi) away (Early Winters Spires lies ENE of town).
The Early Winters Spires are two rock formations in the Liberty Bell Group of the North Cascade Range, set between Liberty Bell Mountain and Blue Lake Peak in Washington state, United States. The two spires (North and South) are virtually one granite massif, split by a deep cleft formed by jointing and erosion. The shapes of these spires are attributed to ice wedging, cleaving along master joints by soil acids, and perpetual weathering.From the Wikipedia article “Early Winters Spires”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Early Winters Spires 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 308° (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) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 52° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:10 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 18m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 45m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 14m |
| June | 4:19 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:50 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:49 PM | 16h 06m |
| July | 4:37 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 44m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 13m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 8h 20m |
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 Early Winters Spires, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 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 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 | 3:52 AM – 4:12 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:47 AM – 2:47 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:41 AM – 1:21 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:54 PM – 12:34 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 10:37 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.8 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 | 45 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 85 | 76 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -15 | -1 | 15 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 22 | 2 | -20 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
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 rock formation
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Early Winters Spires, closest first.
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Lake
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Early Winters Spires?
What time is golden hour at Early Winters Spires?
Where does the sun rise and set at Early Winters Spires?
Can you see the Milky Way from Early Winters Spires?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Early Winters Spires?
How far is Early Winters Spires from Arlington?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.