Buzzard Creek is a volcano in Denali Borough, Alaska. The nearest town is Healy, about 35 km (21 mi) away (Buzzard Creek lies NE of town).
The Buzzard Creek craters are two tuff rings near Healy, Alaska, United States. Its highest point is 2,723 ft (830 m). Its last eruption occurred in 1050 BC. It is the smallest volcano in the world, followed by DotseroFrom the Wikipedia article “Buzzard Creek (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buzzard Creek the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 20° (NNE) at the June solstice and 152° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 340° (NNW) in June to 209° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 49° in summer but only 3° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:55 AM | 89° E | 8:09 PM | 272° W | 26° | 12h 14m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:24 AM | 20° NNE | 12:29 AM | 340° NNW | 49° | 21h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:38 AM | 88° E | 7:57 PM | 272° W | 26° | 12h 19m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:48 AM | 152° SSE | 2:58 PM | 209° SSW | 3° | 4h 10m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9:13 AM | 10:20 AM | — | — | 3:47 PM | 4:54 PM | 5h 27m |
| February | 7:58 AM | 8:49 AM | 10:08 AM | 4:10 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:19 PM | 8h 39m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:16 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:42 PM | 11h 42m |
| April | 5:27 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:22 PM | 15h 04m |
| May | 2:58 AM | 4:40 AM | 6:03 AM | 9:39 PM | 11:02 PM | 12:44 AM | 18h 22m |
| June | — | 3:26 AM | 5:20 AM | 10:30 PM | 12:24 AM | — | 20h 58m |
| July | — | 4:10 AM | 5:46 AM | 10:14 PM | 11:51 PM | — | 19h 41m |
| August | 4:42 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:58 AM | 9:01 PM | 10:11 PM | 11:16 PM | 16h 25m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 04m |
| October | 7:56 AM | 8:45 AM | 9:54 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:24 PM | 9h 51m |
| November | 8:23 AM | 9:23 AM | 11:21 AM | 1:58 PM | 3:56 PM | 4:55 PM | 6h 33m |
| December | 9:24 AM | 10:42 AM | — | — | 2:58 PM | 4:15 PM | 4h 16m |
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 | — | -13° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| 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 50% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 36 | 36 | 46 | 67 | 82 | 89 | 86 | 85 | 70 | 62 | 37 | 35 |
| Low °F | -48 | -40 | -42 | -15 | 13 | 28 | 38 | 30 | 19 | -12 | -36 | -43 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 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 volcano
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buzzard Creek?
What time is golden hour at Buzzard Creek?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buzzard Creek?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buzzard Creek?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buzzard Creek?
How far is Buzzard Creek from Healy?
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.