Glacier Bay Wilderness is a wilderness area in Haines Borough, Alaska. It sits roughly 171 km (106 mi) WNW of Juneau.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a national park of the United States located in Southeast Alaska west of Juneau. President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the area around Glacier Bay a national monument under the Antiquities Act on February 26, 1925. Subsequent to an expansion of the monument by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) enlarged the national monument by 523,000 acres (817.2 sq mi; 2,116.5 km2) on December 2, 1980, and created Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The national preserve encompasses 58,406 acres (91.3 sq mi; 236.4 km2) of public land to the immediate northwest of the park, protecting a portion of the Alsek River with its fish and wildlife habitats, while allowing sport hunting.From the Wikipedia article “Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glacier Bay Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 37° (NE) at the June solstice and 139° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 323° (NW) in June to 222° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:55 AM | 37° NE | 10:26 PM | 323° NW | 54° | 18h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 88° E | 7:09 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:02 AM | 139° SE | 3:11 PM | 222° SW | 7° | 6h 09m |
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 | 7:59 AM | 8:49 AM | 10:16 AM | 2:20 PM | 3:47 PM | 4:37 PM | 6h 58m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:01 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 19m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:17 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 5:10 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 29m |
| May | 3:38 AM | 4:37 AM | 5:41 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:33 PM | 16h 56m |
| June | 2:29 AM | 3:55 AM | 5:10 AM | 9:09 PM | 10:24 PM | 11:50 PM | 18h 29m |
| July | 3:10 AM | 4:21 AM | 5:30 AM | 8:59 PM | 10:08 PM | 11:19 PM | 17h 47m |
| August | 4:39 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 31m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 52m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:43 AM | 5:05 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 17m |
| November | 7:14 AM | 8:01 AM | 9:16 AM | 2:31 PM | 3:45 PM | 4:33 PM | 7h 44m |
| December | 8:03 AM | 8:58 AM | 10:44 AM | 1:24 PM | 3:10 PM | 4:05 PM | 6h 13m |
Local time (America/Juneau), 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 | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| 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 0.5+ 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 66% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 34 | 39 | 42 | 60 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 59 | 49 | 36 | 34 |
| Low °F | -42 | -40 | -32 | -15 | 6 | 24 | 31 | 29 | 16 | -11 | -37 | -41 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 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 wilderness area
- 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.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Glacier Bay Wilderness, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Glacier
Glacier
Glacier
Mountain Peak
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Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
GlacierFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glacier Bay Wilderness?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Glacier Bay Wilderness?
How far is Glacier Bay Wilderness from Juneau?
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.