Mount Katmai — a volcano in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Katmai National Park and Preserve. It sits roughly 160 km (99 mi) WNW of Kodiak.
Mount Katmai (Russian: Катмай) is a large dormant stratovolcano (composite volcano) on the Alaska Peninsula in southern Alaska, located within Katmai National Park and Preserve. It is about 6.3 miles (10 km) in diameter with a central lake-filled caldera about two by three miles (3.2 by 4.8 km) in size, formed during the Novarupta eruption of 1912. The caldera rim reaches a maximum elevation of 6,715 feet (2,047 m). In 1975 the surface of the crater lake was at an elevation of about 4,055 feet (1,236 m), and the estimated elevation of the caldera floor is about 3,260 ft (995 m). The mountain is located in Kodiak Island Borough, very close to its border with Lake and Peninsula Borough. The volcano has caused ten known fatalities due to gas exposure.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Katmai”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Katmai the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 39° (NE) at the June solstice and 137° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 321° (NW) in June to 223° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 55° in summer but only 8° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:22 AM | 89° E | 8:34 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 39° NE | 11:30 PM | 321° NW | 55° | 18h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:06 AM | 88° E | 8:21 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:07 AM | 137° SE | 4:30 PM | 223° SW | 8° | 6h 23m |
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 | 9:07 AM | 9:56 AM | 11:17 AM | 3:43 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:53 PM | 7h 09m |
| February | 8:11 AM | 8:53 AM | 9:52 AM | 5:17 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:59 PM | 9h 25m |
| March | 7:57 AM | 8:36 AM | 9:29 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:02 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:32 PM | 10:16 PM | 14h 24m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:56 AM | 9:38 PM | 10:40 PM | 11:37 PM | 16h 46m |
| June | 3:57 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:26 AM | 10:16 PM | 11:28 PM | 12:45 AM | 18h 13m |
| July | 4:33 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:46 AM | 10:06 PM | 11:14 PM | 12:19 AM | 17h 34m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:40 AM | 9:11 PM | 10:07 PM | 10:55 PM | 15h 24m |
| September | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:43 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:21 PM | 12h 51m |
| October | 8:16 AM | 8:56 AM | 9:52 AM | 6:20 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 10h 20m |
| November | 8:23 AM | 9:09 AM | 10:21 AM | 3:50 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:47 PM | 7h 53m |
| December | 9:11 AM | 10:03 AM | 11:39 AM | 2:52 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:21 PM | 6h 26m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| 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 | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 2.0+ 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 65% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 39 | 38 | 40 | 57 | 69 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 66 | 52 | 46 | 41 |
| Low °F | -23 | -18 | -16 | -2 | 13 | 36 | 40 | 37 | 27 | 2 | -18 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 6.1 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Katmai, closest first.
Volcano
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Katmai?
What time is golden hour at Mount Katmai?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Katmai?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Katmai?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Katmai?
How far is Mount Katmai from Kodiak?
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.