Castle Hill — a state park in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Sitka National Historical Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Castle Hill (Tlingit: Noow Tlein, Russian: Замковый холм) also known as the American Flag-Raising Site and now as the Baranof Castle State Historic Site, is a National Historic Landmark and state park in Sitka, Alaska. The hill, providing a commanding view over the city, is the historical site of Tlingit and Russian forts and the location where Russian Alaska was formally handed over to the United States in 1867. It is also where the 49-star United States flag was first flown after Alaska became a state in 1959.From the Wikipedia article “Castle Hill (Sitka, Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Hill the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 41° (NE) at the June solstice and 135° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 319° (NW) in June to 225° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 10° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 33° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:07 AM | 41° NE | 10:01 PM | 319° NW | 56° | 17h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 88° E | 7:02 PM | 272° W | 33° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:39 AM | 135° SE | 3:21 PM | 225° SW | 10° | 6h 42m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:44 AM | 2:39 PM | 3:53 PM | 4:40 PM | 7h 24m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:05 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 32m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:14 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 5:12 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 17m |
| May | 3:50 AM | 4:43 AM | 5:43 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:14 PM | 10:07 PM | 16h 31m |
| June | 2:59 AM | 4:07 AM | 5:14 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:59 PM | 11:07 PM | 17h 52m |
| July | 3:30 AM | 4:30 AM | 5:33 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:46 PM | 17h 16m |
| August | 4:44 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 15m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 49m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 25m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:51 AM | 2:43 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 8h 06m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:35 AM | 10:01 AM | 1:54 PM | 3:20 PM | 4:09 PM | 6h 45m |
Local time (America/Sitka), 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 | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.02 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show February as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 50 | 46 | 62 | 68 | 73 | 83 | 81 | 80 | 72 | 60 | 51 | 48 |
| Low °F | -5 | -1 | -3 | 16 | 27 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 34 | 20 | -1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.3 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 7.5 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
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
- 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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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
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 40 km of Castle Hill, closest first.
Lake
Lighthouse
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakLighthouse
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Samsing Cove Cabin7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Starrigavan Creek Cabin9.2 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Starrigavan Campground And Day Use9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Salmon Lake Cabin Sitka14.9 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Freds Creek Cabin16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Hill?
What time is golden hour at Castle Hill?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Hill?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Hill?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Hill?
How far is Castle Hill from Sitka?
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.