Located in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska, Bear Mountain Waterfall is a waterfall. It sits roughly 8.6 km (5.3 mi) E of Sitka.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bear Mountain Waterfall the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 41° (NE) at the June solstice and 135° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 319° (NW) in June to 225° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 10° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 33° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:06 AM | 41° NE | 10:00 PM | 319° NW | 56° | 17h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 88° E | 7:02 PM | 272° W | 33° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:39 AM | 135° SE | 3:21 PM | 225° SW | 10° | 6h 42m |
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
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:42 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:44 AM | 2:38 PM | 3:53 PM | 4:39 PM | 7h 24m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:05 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 32m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:13 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 5:11 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 17m |
| May | 3:50 AM | 4:43 AM | 5:42 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:13 PM | 10:06 PM | 16h 31m |
| June | 2:58 AM | 4:06 AM | 5:14 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:58 PM | 11:06 PM | 17h 52m |
| July | 3:29 AM | 4:29 AM | 5:33 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:45 PM | 17h 16m |
| August | 4:44 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 15m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 49m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 25m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:51 AM | 2:42 PM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 8h 06m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 10:00 AM | 1:54 PM | 3:19 PM | 4:09 PM | 6h 45m |
Local time (America/Sitka), 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 | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.58 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show February as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). August 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 | 50 | 46 | 62 | 68 | 73 | 83 | 81 | 80 | 72 | 60 | 51 | 48 |
| Low °F | -5 | -1 | -3 | 16 | 27 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 34 | 20 | -1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.3 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 7.5 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
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 waterfall
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- Bracket shutter speeds: 1/8 s, 1/2 s and 2 s give very different water textures and you can choose later.
- A 3-stop ND filter lets you use slow shutter speeds even when the light is bright.
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bear Mountain Waterfall, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State Park
Mountain Peak
Lighthouse
LakeLighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Salmon Lake Cabin Sitka10.4 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Samsing Cove Cabin12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Starrigavan Creek Cabin13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Starrigavan Campground And Day Use14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Baranof Lake Cabin17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bear Mountain Waterfall?
What time is golden hour at Bear Mountain Waterfall?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bear Mountain Waterfall?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bear Mountain Waterfall?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bear Mountain Waterfall?
How far is Bear Mountain Waterfall from Sitka?
Sources
Location data: OpenStreetMap contributors. 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.