Glacier Peak Wilderness is a wilderness area in Chelan County, Washington. It is part of Wenatchee National Forest. The nearest town is Darrington, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Glacier Peak Wilderness lies ESE of town).
Glacier Peak Wilderness is a 566,057-acre (229,075 ha), 35-mile-long (56 km), 20-mile-wide (32 km) wilderness area located within portions of Chelan, Snohomish, and Skagit counties in the North Cascades of Washington. The area lies within parts of Wenatchee National Forest and Mount Baker National Forest and is characterized by heavily forested stream courses, steep-sided valleys, and dramatic glacier-crowned peaks. The dominant geologic feature of the area is 10,541-foot (3,213 m) Glacier Peak. It is the most remote major volcanic peak in the Cascade Range and is the third most heavily glaciated volcano in the lower forty-eight states behind Mount Rainier and Mount Baker. Glacier Peak is a volcanic cone of basalt, pumice, and ash which erupted during periods of heavy glaciation.From the Wikipedia article “Glacier Peak Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glacier Peak Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 52° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 126° SE | 4:14 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 21m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:23 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:18 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 23m |
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 Glacier Peak Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 2:52 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:21 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:47 PM – 12:47 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:45 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.59 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 42% average cloud cover) and November 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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
- 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.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Peak Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Glacier
Hot Spring
Volcano
Fire Lookout
Mountain PeakHot Spring
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sulphur Creek Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Bedal Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Alpine Meadows Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Suiattle Guard Station22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Buck Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glacier Peak Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Glacier Peak Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glacier Peak Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glacier Peak Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glacier Peak Wilderness?
How far is Glacier Peak Wilderness from Darrington?
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.