White Chuck Cinder Cone — a volcano in Snohomish County, Washington — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Darrington, about 39 km (24 mi) away (White Chuck Cinder Cone lies SE of town).
White Chuck Cinder Cone is a cinder cone near Glacier Peak in Snohomish County of Washington, USA. Located near the headwaters of the White Chuck River, its existence was first reported by Everett Houghland in 1934. Its elevation is 6,020 ft (1,835 m). Based on the amount of glacial erosion on the cinder cone, it is probably between 2,000 and 17,000 years old.From the Wikipedia article “White Chuck Cinder Cone”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At White Chuck Cinder Cone the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 53° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:14 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 24m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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
From White Chuck Cinder Cone, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 2:53 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:22 AM – 1:42 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:48 PM – 12:48 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 10:46 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 White Chuck Cinder Cone, closest first.
Glacier
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bedal Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Sulphur Creek Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Troublesome Creek Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Alpine Meadows Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Evergreen Mountain Lookout25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph White Chuck Cinder Cone?
What time is golden hour at White Chuck Cinder Cone?
Where does the sun rise and set at White Chuck Cinder Cone?
Can you see the Milky Way from White Chuck Cinder Cone?
Do you need a permit to photograph at White Chuck Cinder Cone?
How far is White Chuck Cinder Cone from Darrington?
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.