Located in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, Aleutian Islands Wilderness is a wilderness area.
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (often shortened to Alaska Maritime or AMNWR) is a United States National Wildlife Refuge comprising 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs in Alaska, with a total area of 4.9 million acres (20,000 km2), of which 2.64 million acres (10,700 km2) is wilderness. The refuge stretches from Cape Lisburne on the Chukchi Sea to the tip of the Aleutian Islands in the west and Forrester Island in the southern Alaska Panhandle region in the east. The refuge has diverse landforms and terrains, including tundra, rainforest, cliffs, volcanoes, beaches, lakes, and streams.From the Wikipedia article “Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aleutian Islands Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 48° (NE) at the June solstice and 129° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 312° (NW) in June to 231° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 61° in summer but only 14° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:37 AM | 89° E | 8:48 PM | 271° W | 38° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:14 AM | 48° NE | 10:59 PM | 312° NW | 61° | 16h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:21 AM | 89° E | 8:34 PM | 272° W | 38° | 12h 13m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:41 AM | 129° SE | 5:25 PM | 231° SW | 14° | 7h 43m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:57 AM | 9:36 AM | 10:35 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:31 PM | 8h 16m |
| February | 8:15 AM | 8:50 AM | 9:39 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 9h 59m |
| March | 8:15 AM | 8:49 AM | 9:34 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 11h 50m |
| April | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:23 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:32 PM | 10:08 PM | 13h 55m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:31 AM | 9:32 PM | 10:22 PM | 11:05 PM | 15h 42m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:09 AM | 10:02 PM | 10:57 PM | 11:46 PM | 16h 43m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:26 AM | 9:56 PM | 10:49 PM | 11:35 PM | 16h 16m |
| August | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:06 AM | 9:13 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:38 PM | 14h 41m |
| September | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:54 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:25 PM | 12h 41m |
| October | 8:26 AM | 9:00 AM | 9:47 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:15 PM | 10h 41m |
| November | 8:18 AM | 8:56 AM | 9:50 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:21 PM | 8h 48m |
| December | 8:56 AM | 9:37 AM | 10:40 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:23 PM | 6:04 PM | 7h 46m |
Local time (America/Adak), 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 | — | -8° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| June | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| 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 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 90% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (98%). 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 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 58 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 48 | 45 |
| Low °F | 26 | 24 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 37 | 41 | 44 | 41 | 36 | 31 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
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 wilderness area
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aleutian Islands Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Aleutian Islands Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aleutian Islands Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aleutian Islands Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aleutian Islands Wilderness?
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.