Located in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, Afognak Island State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Kodiak, about 63 km (39 mi) away (Afognak Island State Park lies N of town).
Afognak Island State Park is a 75,047-acre (30,370 ha) Alaska state park on Afognak Island in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska in the United States. Afognak Island is northeast of Kodiak Island on the Alaska Peninsula. Most of Afognak Island State Park is undeveloped. The park is known for its rugged topography and wide variety of wildlife. Afognak Island State Park is open to year-round recreation, including fishing, hunting, and hiking. Transportation is provided by float plane from Kodiak to various areas around the park. It is on the northern and eastern ends of the island and surrounds Perenosa, Seal and Tonki Bays. It borders part of Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge to the west.From the Wikipedia article “Afognak Island State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Afognak Island State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 39° (NE) at the June solstice and 138° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 322° (NW) in June to 223° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 8° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:11 AM | 89° E | 8:23 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 39° NE | 11:21 PM | 322° NW | 55° | 18h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:55 AM | 88° E | 8:10 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:57 AM | 138° SE | 4:19 PM | 223° SW | 8° | 6h 21m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:57 AM | 9:45 AM | 11:07 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:42 PM | 7h 08m |
| February | 8:01 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:42 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:48 PM | 9h 24m |
| March | 7:46 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:18 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:22 PM | 10:06 PM | 14h 25m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:45 AM | 9:27 PM | 10:30 PM | 11:27 PM | 16h 47m |
| June | 3:45 AM | 5:03 AM | 6:15 AM | 10:06 PM | 11:18 PM | 12:36 AM | 18h 15m |
| July | 4:22 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:35 AM | 9:56 PM | 11:04 PM | 12:10 AM | 17h 36m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:29 AM | 9:00 PM | 9:57 PM | 10:45 PM | 15h 25m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:11 PM | 12h 51m |
| October | 8:06 AM | 8:46 AM | 9:42 AM | 6:09 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:45 PM | 10h 19m |
| November | 8:13 AM | 8:59 AM | 10:11 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:37 PM | 7h 52m |
| December | 9:00 AM | 9:53 AM | 11:30 AM | 2:40 PM | 4:18 PM | 5:10 PM | 6h 25m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 2.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). August is the warmest month and January 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 | 44 | 45 | 53 | 65 | 71 | 71 | 69 | 67 | 53 | 50 | 46 |
| Low °F | -2 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 28 | 41 | 46 | 46 | 36 | 22 | 1 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 6.1 |
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 state park
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. 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 40 km of Afognak Island State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Afognak Island State Park?
What time is golden hour at Afognak Island State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Afognak Island State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Afognak Island State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Afognak Island State Park?
How far is Afognak Island State Park from Kodiak?
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.