Viewing Spit is a scenic viewpoint in Juneau City and Borough, Alaska. The nearest town is Juneau, about 45 km (28 mi) away (Viewing Spit lies S of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Viewing Spit 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) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:55 AM | 40° NE | 10:04 PM | 321° NW | 56° | 18h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 88° E | 6:58 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:42 AM | 137° SE | 3:10 PM | 224° SW | 9° | 6h 29m |
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 | 7:42 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:50 AM | 2:25 PM | 3:44 PM | 4:32 PM | 7h 13m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:28 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 27m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:08 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 5:04 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 22m |
| May | 3:39 AM | 4:34 AM | 5:35 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:15 PM | 10:10 PM | 16h 41m |
| June | 2:41 AM | 3:55 AM | 5:06 AM | 8:51 PM | 10:02 PM | 11:16 PM | 18h 06m |
| July | 3:16 AM | 4:19 AM | 5:25 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:48 PM | 10:52 PM | 17h 29m |
| August | 4:35 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 21m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 50m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 22m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:54 AM | 2:31 PM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 7h 57m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:37 AM | 10:10 AM | 1:37 PM | 3:09 PM | 4:01 PM | 6h 32m |
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.
| 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 | — | -2° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ 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%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 48 | 45 | 60 | 68 | 73 | 83 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 51 | 48 |
| Low °F | -3 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 28 | 38 | 43 | 44 | 37 | 21 | 2 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 7.9 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 9.2 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Viewing Spit, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Florence Lake (East) Cabin20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Kathleen Lake Cabin22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Big Shaheen Cabin22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Little Shaheen Cabin22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Lake Alexander Cabin27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Viewing Spit?
What time is golden hour at Viewing Spit?
Where does the sun rise and set at Viewing Spit?
Can you see the Milky Way from Viewing Spit?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Viewing Spit?
How far is Viewing Spit from Juneau?
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.