Located in Copper River Census Area, Alaska, Wrangell – Saint Elias Wilderness is a wilderness area.
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a United States national park and preserve in south central Alaska. The park, the largest in the United States, covers the Wrangell Mountains and a large portion of the Saint Elias Mountains, which include most of the highest peaks in the United States and Canada, yet are within 10 miles (16 km) of tidewater, one of the highest reliefs in the world. The park's high point is Mount Saint Elias at 18,008 feet (5,489 m), the second tallest mountain in both the United States and Canada. The park has been shaped by the competing forces of volcanism and glaciation, with its tall mountains uplifted by plate tectonics. Mount Wrangell and Mount Churchill are among major volcanos in these ranges. The park's glacial features include Malaspina Glacier, the largest piedmont glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier, the longest tidewater glacier in...From the Wikipedia article “Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wrangell – Saint Elias Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 32° (NNE) at the June solstice and 143° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 329° (NNW) in June to 217° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:47 AM | 32° NNE | 11:11 PM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 88° E | 7:29 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:42 AM | 143° SE | 3:08 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 26m |
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 | 8:29 AM | 9:25 AM | 11:14 AM | 1:59 PM | 3:48 PM | 4:44 PM | 6h 23m |
| February | 7:24 AM | 8:10 AM | 9:18 AM | 4:05 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 03m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:42 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:28 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:17 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 43m |
| May | 3:28 AM | 4:39 AM | 5:50 AM | 8:57 PM | 10:08 PM | 11:19 PM | 17h 29m |
| June | — | 3:48 AM | 5:14 AM | 9:41 PM | 11:08 PM | — | 19h 20m |
| July | 2:44 AM | 4:18 AM | 5:37 AM | 9:29 PM | 10:48 PM | 12:22 AM | 18h 29m |
| August | 4:41 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:23 PM | 15h 52m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 8:10 AM | 9:12 AM | 5:14 PM | 6:16 PM | 7:00 PM | 10h 06m |
| November | 7:42 AM | 8:34 AM | 10:01 AM | 2:23 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:42 PM | 7h 16m |
| December | 8:35 AM | 9:38 AM | — | — | 3:07 PM | 4:10 PM | 5h 30m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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 0.0+ 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 62% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 34 | 29 | 35 | 42 | 45 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 44 | 43 | 31 | 29 |
| Low °F | -46 | -46 | -51 | -23 | -4 | 13 | 17 | 11 | 3 | -21 | -34 | -39 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- 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 Wrangell – Saint Elias Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wrangell – Saint Elias Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Wrangell – Saint Elias Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wrangell – Saint Elias Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wrangell – Saint Elias Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wrangell – Saint Elias 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.