Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area in King County, Washington. It is part of Okanogan National Forest. It sits roughly 39 km (24 mi) W of Leavenworth.
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is a large wilderness area spanning the Central Cascades of Washington state in the United States. The wilderness is located in parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Snoqualmie National Forest, and is approximately bounded by Interstate 90 and Snoqualmie Pass to the south and U.S. Route 2 and Stevens Pass to the north. The Alpine Lakes is the largest wilderness area near the population centers of Puget Sound, counted at 414,161 acres (167,605 ha) following the 2014 expansion.From the Wikipedia article “Alpine Lakes Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alpine Lakes Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:07 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 125° SE | 4:16 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 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 | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 28m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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
From Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:39 AM – 4:19 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:38 AM – 2:58 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:09 AM – 1:59 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:40 PM – 1:00 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 10:52 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.4 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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 Alpine Lakes Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Lake
Lake
Waterfall
Mountain PeakMountain PeakWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Salmon La Sac19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Cayuse Horse Camp19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Miller River Group Camp21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Beckler River Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Chatter Creek Group Site22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alpine Lakes Wilderness?
How far is Alpine Lakes Wilderness from Leavenworth?
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.