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59.5380° N135.2129° WBortle 1Juneau

Goat Lake Photography Guide

Scenic Viewpoint in Skagway Municipality, Alaska

  • Bortle 1 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 221°–324°
  • Clearest: February

Goat Lake is a scenic viewpoint in Skagway Municipality, Alaska. It sits roughly 10.5 km (6.5 mi) NNE of Skagway.

Nearest town
Skagway
10.5 km (6.5 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 1
Excellent dark-sky site
Clearest month
February
68% cloud
Golden hour (Oct)
4:56 PM
sunset 5:55 PM

Light at Goat Lake

Live
Sunrise
7:52 AM
Sunset
5:40 PM
Golden hour AM
7:26 AM – 8:52 AM
Golden hour PM
4:40 PM – 6:06 PM
Blue hour AM
7:10 AM – 7:26 AM
Blue hour PM
6:06 PM – 6:23 PM
Full darkness
7:58 PM – 5:37 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
4:22 PM / 12:19 AM
Day length
9h 48m
Sunrise azimuth
110°
Sunset azimuth
251°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Juneau. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Goat Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 36° (NE) at the June solstice and 140° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 324° (NW) in June to 221° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:03 AM89° E7:15 PM272° W30°12h 12m
June solstice (Jun 21)3:43 AM36° NE10:24 PM324° NW54°18h 42m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:46 AM88° E7:03 PM272° W31°12h 16m
December solstice (Dec 21)8:59 AM140° SE3:00 PM221° SW7°6h 01m

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

Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.

Month (15th)Blue hour startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:54 AM8:46 AM10:16 AM2:06 PM3:36 PM4:28 PM6h 51m
February6:55 AM7:38 AM8:41 AM3:51 PM4:54 PM5:37 PM9h 16m
March6:37 AM7:18 AM8:13 AM6:09 PM7:03 PM7:44 PM11h 45m
April5:00 AM5:46 AM6:42 AM7:21 PM8:17 PM9:03 PM14h 31m
May3:25 AM4:27 AM5:32 AM8:24 PM9:29 PM10:31 PM17h 03m
June2:09 AM3:43 AM5:00 AM9:04 PM10:22 PM11:55 PM18h 39m
July2:55 AM4:10 AM5:21 AM8:54 PM10:05 PM11:19 PM17h 56m
August4:28 AM5:18 AM6:18 AM7:55 PM8:54 PM9:44 PM15h 35m
September5:49 AM6:30 AM7:24 AM6:30 PM7:24 PM8:05 PM12h 53m
October6:58 AM7:40 AM8:38 AM4:56 PM5:55 PM6:36 PM10h 15m
November7:09 AM7:57 AM9:14 AM2:19 PM3:36 PM4:24 PM7h 39m
December7:59 AM8:55 AM10:49 AM1:05 PM2:59 PM3:55 PM6h 04m

Local time (America/Juneau), 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.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-12°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
MarchBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
AprilBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
MayNo darkness———
JuneNo darkness———
JulyNo darkness———
AugustBelow 10° in darkness—-1°—
SeptemberBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—-6°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-11°—
DecemberBelow 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 0.0+ 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 68% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (80%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

Average cloud cover (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F383239425669697059473634
Low °F-42-40-32-15523312916-11-35-40
Precip. (in)6.24.54.33.83.23.64.35.77.47.46.76.6

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 scenic viewpoint

  • Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
  • Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
  • Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
  • Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
  • A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
  • Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.

Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.

Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Goat Lake, closest first.

Waterfall
Pitchfork Falls1.2 km away · Skagway Municipality · 642 m
Waterfall
Bridal Veil Falls3.5 km away · Skagway Municipality · 874 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Best photo of train with mountain backdrop5.0 km away · Skagway Municipality
Scenic Viewpoint
Denver glacier viewpoint6.9 km away · Skagway Municipality
Waterfall
Lower Reid Falls8.3 km away · Skagway Municipality · 134 m
Waterfall
Upper Reid Falls8.3 km away · Skagway Municipality
DyeaGhost Town
Dyea9.1 km away · Skagway Municipality
Scenic Viewpoint
City of Skagway Overlook10 km away · Skagway Municipality
Chilkoot PassMountain Pass
Chilkoot Pass18 km away · Skagway Municipality · 1,068 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Goat Lake?
February has the clearest skies on average. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
What time is golden hour at Goat Lake?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 4:56 PM and ends after sunset at about 5:55 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:38 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Goat Lake?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 36° in June to 140° in December; sunset ranges from 324° to 221°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Goat Lake?
The Milky Way core stays very low or the nights are too bright at this latitude. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goat Lake?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Goat Lake from Skagway?
About 10.5 km (6.5 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

Sources

Location data: OpenStreetMap contributors. 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.