Hess Creek Overlook — a scenic viewpoint in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 104 km (64 mi) NNW of College.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hess Creek Overlook the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 5° (N) at the June solstice and 159° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 355° (N) in June to 201° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 48° in summer but only 1° in winter. OpenStreetMap records this view as facing W (270°), so the sun itself stays out of the frame at sunrise and sunset and you get side-light instead.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:57 AM | 89° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 24° | 12h 15m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 2:20 AM | 5° N | 1:37 AM | 355° N | 48° | 23h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:40 AM | 88° E | 8:00 PM | 273° W | 25° | 12h 20m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 11:22 AM | 159° SSE | 2:28 PM | 201° SSW | 1° | 3h 06m |
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 starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:28 AM | 10:44 AM | — | — | 3:29 PM | 4:45 PM | 4h 45m |
| February | 8:05 AM | 9:00 AM | 10:26 AM | 3:56 PM | 5:22 PM | 6:17 PM | 8h 23m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:23 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:46 PM | 11h 40m |
| April | 5:17 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:36 PM | 15h 18m |
| May | — | 4:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 9:51 PM | 11:24 PM | — | 19h 01m |
| June | — | 2:30 AM | 5:07 AM | 10:48 PM | 1:25 AM | — | 22h 55m |
| July | — | 3:42 AM | 5:36 AM | 10:29 PM | 12:23 AM | — | 20h 40m |
| August | 4:25 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:55 AM | 9:08 PM | 10:25 PM | 11:38 PM | 16h 47m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:18 PM | 13h 08m |
| October | 8:00 AM | 8:52 AM | 10:07 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:25 PM | 9h 41m |
| November | 8:35 AM | 9:40 AM | — | — | 3:43 PM | 4:49 PM | 6h 02m |
| December | 9:42 AM | 11:15 AM | — | — | 2:29 PM | 4:03 PM | 3h 14m |
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 | — | -14° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 ≈ 21.94 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 March as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (79%). 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 35 | 34 | 34 | 60 | 77 | 81 | 82 | 81 | 66 | 58 | 33 | 33 |
| Low °F | -50 | -41 | -43 | -22 | 6 | 25 | 35 | 27 | 14 | -16 | -39 | -45 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hess Creek Overlook?
What time is golden hour at Hess Creek Overlook?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hess Creek Overlook?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hess Creek Overlook?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hess Creek Overlook?
How far is Hess Creek Overlook from College?
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.