Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site — a state park in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Kodiak, about 5.6 km (3.5 mi) away (Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, also known as the Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site, is an Alaska state park on Kodiak Island, Alaska. It includes 182 acres (74 ha) of land at the end of Miller Point, located on the eastern shore of Kodiak Island northeast of the city of Kodiak. The park, established in 1969, is noted for its historical World War II fortifications and its scenery, which includes bluffs overlooking the ocean, spruce forests, and meadows. The site was named in honor of the early Alaska explorer and United States Army officer Lt. Col. William R. Abercrombie. The fortifications, whose surviving elements include gun emplacements, underground magazines, and foundational remnants of buildings, were built in 1941 and abandoned after the war ended, having seen no action. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and was included...From the Wikipedia article “Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 40° (NE) at the June solstice and 137° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 321° (NW) in June to 224° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 9° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:12 AM | 89° E | 8:24 PM | 271° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 40° NE | 11:16 PM | 321° NW | 56° | 18h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:55 AM | 88° E | 8:11 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:53 AM | 137° SE | 4:23 PM | 224° SW | 9° | 6h 30m |
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 | 8:54 AM | 9:42 AM | 11:01 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:45 PM | 7h 15m |
| February | 8:00 AM | 8:41 AM | 9:40 AM | 5:09 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:49 PM | 9h 27m |
| March | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:18 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:51 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:04 PM | 14h 22m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:48 AM | 9:26 PM | 10:27 PM | 11:22 PM | 16h 40m |
| June | 3:55 AM | 5:08 AM | 6:18 AM | 10:03 PM | 11:13 PM | 12:27 AM | 18h 05m |
| July | 4:29 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:38 AM | 9:54 PM | 11:00 PM | 12:03 AM | 17h 27m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:55 PM | 10:42 PM | 15h 20m |
| September | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:10 PM | 12h 50m |
| October | 8:05 AM | 8:45 AM | 9:40 AM | 6:12 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 10h 22m |
| November | 8:11 AM | 8:56 AM | 10:06 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:39 PM | 7h 58m |
| December | 8:58 AM | 9:49 AM | 11:21 AM | 2:50 PM | 4:22 PM | 5:13 PM | 6h 33m |
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 | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.29 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 November as the clearest month (about 69% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 43 | 42 | 43 | 56 | 67 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 66 | 54 | 48 | 45 |
| Low °F | -1 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 26 | 38 | 44 | 44 | 35 | 22 | 0 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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
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 Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site, closest first.
LighthouseLighthouseLighthouseLighthouseLighthouse
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointLighthouseScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site?
How far is Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site 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.