Mollie Beattie Wilderness — a wilderness area in North Slope Borough, Alaska — is a classic subject for landscape photographers.
The Mollie Beattie Wilderness is located in the northeastern section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is the second-largest designated wilderness area in the United States, after the Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness. It has an area of approximately 8,000,000 acres (3,200,000 ha), and comprises over 40 percent of the area of Arctic NWR. Its territory is centered about a part of the Brooks Range that contains a combination of arctic, subarctic, and alpine ecosystems. Animal life is abundant, including that of large mammals such as brown bears, moose, caribou, musk oxen, and (offshore) polar bears and numerous species of whales and seals. The wilderness is named after conservationist Mollie Beattie, the first female director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.From the Wikipedia article “Mollie Beattie Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At this latitude the sun does not rise or set on some days of the year, so check the monthly table below for daylight and twilight.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 88° E | 7:50 PM | 272° W | 21° | 12h 17m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | — | — | — | — | 44° | — |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 87° E | 7:38 PM | 273° W | 21° | 12h 23m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | — | — | — | — | -2° | — |
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 | 9:38 AM | 11:39 AM | — | — | 1:47 PM | 3:48 PM | 2h 08m |
| February | 7:54 AM | 8:59 AM | 10:55 AM | 2:41 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:42 PM | 7h 38m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:55 AM | 9:13 AM | 6:12 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:29 PM | 11h 36m |
| April | 4:19 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:09 PM | 9:32 PM | 10:47 PM | 15h 57m |
| May | — | 2:52 AM | 5:07 AM | 9:53 PM | 12:08 AM | — | 21h 16m |
| June | — | — | 3:59 AM | 11:09 PM | — | — | — |
| July | — | — | 4:38 AM | 10:41 PM | — | — | — |
| August | 2:51 AM | 4:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 9:00 PM | 10:33 PM | 12:25 AM | 17h 49m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:52 PM | 8:09 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 20m |
| October | 7:42 AM | 8:42 AM | 10:14 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:56 PM | 9h 15m |
| November | 8:36 AM | 10:03 AM | — | — | 2:33 PM | 4:00 PM | 4h 30m |
| December | 10:03 AM | — | — | — | — | 2:55 PM | — |
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
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 | — | -16° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| April | No darkness | — | — | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -24° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -16° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 47 | 67 | 75 | 73 | 71 | 59 | 43 | 39 | 35 |
| Low °F | -45 | -40 | -43 | -36 | -14 | 18 | 23 | 18 | 0 | -15 | -33 | -42 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
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
- 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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Mollie Beattie Wilderness, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mollie Beattie Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Mollie Beattie Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mollie Beattie Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mollie Beattie Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mollie Beattie 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.