Mount Emmons — a volcano in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is King Cove, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Mount Emmons lies NNE of town).
Mount Emmons is a post-caldera stratovolcano within the Emmons Lake caldera on the Alaska Peninsula within the Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Emmons (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Emmons the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 44° (NE) at the June solstice and 133° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 316° (NW) in June to 227° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 58° in summer but only 11° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:51 AM | 89° E | 9:02 PM | 271° W | 35° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 44° NE | 11:35 PM | 316° NW | 58° | 17h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:35 AM | 89° E | 8:49 PM | 272° W | 35° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:14 AM | 133° SE | 5:20 PM | 227° SW | 11° | 7h 05m |
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 | 9:23 AM | 10:06 AM | 11:14 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:34 PM | 7h 44m |
| February | 8:34 AM | 9:12 AM | 10:06 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 9h 42m |
| March | 8:27 AM | 9:04 AM | 9:52 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:29 PM | 11h 48m |
| April | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:04 PM | 9:53 PM | 10:33 PM | 14h 09m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:35 AM | 9:56 PM | 10:52 PM | 11:40 PM | 16h 12m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:09 AM | 10:30 PM | 11:32 PM | 12:31 AM | 17h 25m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:28 AM | 10:22 PM | 11:21 PM | 12:15 AM | 16h 53m |
| August | 6:40 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:33 PM | 10:24 PM | 11:07 PM | 15h 02m |
| September | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:10 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:44 PM | 12h 46m |
| October | 8:42 AM | 9:19 AM | 10:10 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 10h 31m |
| November | 8:42 AM | 9:23 AM | 10:25 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:26 PM | 8h 22m |
| December | 9:24 AM | 10:10 AM | 11:26 AM | 4:03 PM | 5:18 PM | 6:04 PM | 7h 08m |
Local time (America/Nome), 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
At this latitude the summer nights are too short or too bright for the Milky Way core to stand high in true darkness; aim for star trails or the aurora.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 88% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (93%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 41 | 41 | 46 | 47 | 61 | 68 | 71 | 69 | 62 | 54 | 50 | 47 |
| Low °F | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 31 | 39 | 40 | 34 | 27 | 18 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.3 |
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 volcano
- 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.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Emmons, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lighthouse
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Emmons?
What time is golden hour at Mount Emmons?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Emmons?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Emmons?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Emmons?
How far is Mount Emmons from King Cove?
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.