Located in Aleutians East Borough, Alaska, Izembek Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) NW of King Cove.
The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge is the smallest of the National Wildlife Refuges located in the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies on the northwest (Bering Sea) coastal side of central Aleutians East Borough. Almost all of the refuge (307,982 acres (124,636 ha) out of 315,000 acres (1,270 km2)) was designated as wilderness in 1980 under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). The refuge is administered from offices in Cold Bay.From the Wikipedia article “Izembek National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Izembek Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 44° (NE) at the June solstice and 133° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 316° (NW) in June to 228° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 58° in summer but only 11° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:53 AM | 89° E | 9:04 PM | 271° W | 35° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 44° NE | 11:36 PM | 316° NW | 58° | 17h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:37 AM | 89° E | 8:51 PM | 272° W | 35° | 12h 14m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:16 AM | 133° SE | 5:23 PM | 228° SW | 11° | 7h 06m |
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 | 9:25 AM | 10:08 AM | 11:16 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:36 PM | 7h 45m |
| February | 8:36 AM | 9:14 AM | 10:08 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 9h 42m |
| March | 8:30 AM | 9:06 AM | 9:54 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:31 PM | 11h 48m |
| April | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:36 AM | 9:06 PM | 9:55 PM | 10:35 PM | 14h 09m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:38 AM | 9:58 PM | 10:53 PM | 11:42 PM | 16h 12m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:12 AM | 10:32 PM | 11:34 PM | 12:33 AM | 17h 24m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:30 AM | 10:24 PM | 11:23 PM | 12:16 AM | 16h 52m |
| August | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:35 PM | 10:26 PM | 11:09 PM | 15h 01m |
| September | 7:47 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:12 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:46 PM | 12h 45m |
| October | 8:44 AM | 9:21 AM | 10:12 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:29 PM | 10h 31m |
| November | 8:44 AM | 9:25 AM | 10:27 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:28 PM | 8h 22m |
| December | 9:26 AM | 10:12 AM | 11:27 AM | 4:06 PM | 5:21 PM | 6:07 PM | 7h 09m |
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
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 | — | -9° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| 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 4.0+ 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 88% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (93%). August is the warmest month and March 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 | 41 | 41 | 46 | 47 | 61 | 68 | 71 | 69 | 62 | 54 | 50 | 47 |
| Low °F | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 22 | 31 | 39 | 40 | 34 | 27 | 18 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Izembek Wilderness, closest first.
LighthouseLighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Scenic Viewpoint
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Volcano
Volcano
VolcanoFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Izembek Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Izembek Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Izembek Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Izembek Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Izembek Wilderness?
How far is Izembek Wilderness from King Cove?
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.