Trident Volcano is a volcano in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska. It is part of Katmai National Park and Preserve. The nearest town is Kodiak, about 166 km (103 mi) away (Trident Volcano lies WNW of town).
Trident Volcano is an eroded volcanic complex on the Alaska Peninsula in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Up to 23 domes comprise the complex stratovolcano, with the greatest elevation of 6,115 feet (1,864 m). The most recent major activity produced a 3,599-foot (1,097 m) dome in an amphitheater on the southwest flank of the southwest peak. Volcano Novarupta formed on its slopes in the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. According to the United States Geological Survey, the descriptive name, Trident, was given by Robert Fiske Griggs of the National Geographic Society, in 1916, because there were three major peaks. The volcano has been known by several variants of the name. The feature was officially named Mount Trident by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1928. The board assigned the current name in 1968.From the Wikipedia article “Trident Volcano”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trident Volcano 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) | 8:23 AM | 89° E | 8:35 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 39° NE | 11:31 PM | 321° NW | 55° | 18h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:06 AM | 88° E | 8:22 PM | 272° W | 32° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:08 AM | 137° SE | 4:31 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 | 3:44 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:54 PM | 7h 09m |
| February | 8:12 AM | 8:53 AM | 9:53 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:59 PM | 9h 25m |
| March | 7:58 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:29 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:03 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:16 PM | 14h 24m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:57 AM | 9:38 PM | 10:40 PM | 11:37 PM | 16h 45m |
| June | 3:58 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:27 AM | 10:16 PM | 11:28 PM | 12:45 AM | 18h 13m |
| July | 4:35 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:47 AM | 10:07 PM | 11:14 PM | 12:19 AM | 17h 34m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:40 AM | 9:11 PM | 10:08 PM | 10:55 PM | 15h 24m |
| September | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:43 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:22 PM | 12h 51m |
| October | 8:17 AM | 8:57 AM | 9:53 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 10h 20m |
| November | 8:24 AM | 9:09 AM | 10:21 AM | 3:51 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:48 PM | 7h 53m |
| December | 9:11 AM | 10:03 AM | 11:39 AM | 2:54 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:22 PM | 6h 27m |
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 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 53 | 65 | 76 | 82 | 79 | 67 | 54 | 45 | 38 |
| Low °F | -40 | -36 | -25 | -8 | 11 | 32 | 38 | 34 | 23 | -6 | -24 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 |
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
- 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.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Trident Volcano, closest first.
Mountain Peak
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Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trident Volcano?
What time is golden hour at Trident Volcano?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trident Volcano?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trident Volcano?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trident Volcano?
How far is Trident Volcano 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.