The sun sets after midnight in Delta Junction, Alaska from June 7 through July 5. The night skips over dusk and dawn during that time, with civil twilight enduring throughout the night as the sun barely dips below the horizon for a few hours before rising again after 3 a.m. A few of the brightest stars may appear in the sky during the darkest part of night only fleetingly before vanishing back into the twilight. The busy sounds of cars, planes, and summer construction die down, but you may still hear birds calling throughout the night.

Near the summer solstice in the Alaska Range, there’s no need to finish a hike before sunset or even pack a headlamp. Instead of hurrying down the mountain to finish your hike before dark, you can catch a beautiful sunset from high elevation in the mountains before casually descending back to the trailhead. Rather than packing a tent and sleeping bag, you can easily keep warm while hiking until sunrise, which is often more comfortable than hiking during warmer daytime weather. For a landscape or adventure photographer, an overnight hike is the best way to capture amazing sunset and sunrise shots. In fact, that’s how I took all the photos on this page! Wildlife that are primarily active at night like fox, lynx, owls, coyotes, and wolves are more likely to be seen or heard in the late evening hours, and other animals like moose and caribou that typically avoid roads and open areas during the daytime venture into the open at night.

On the Midnight Sun Mountain Hike, participants can experience hiking during nonstop golden and blue hour light in the majestic mountains of the Alaska Range. The difficulty and length of this tour is customizable, but always includes hiking in the mountains after midnight with a start time around 9 p.m. For those who want to catch sunset but prefer not to hike until sunrise, the hike usually lasts about 4-5 hours until roughly 1 or 2 a.m. For those who want to see both sunset and sunrise from high in the mountains, especially serious landscape photographers, the hike usually lasts until 4 or 5 a.m, up to 8 hours maximum. All participants should be capable of gaining at least 1000 feet elevation for a clear sunset view while hiking over moderately steep & rugged terrain. Those in good hiking shape can gain as much as 3500 feet elevation, though a 1500-2500 foot gain is enough for most customers. You’ll be able to choose your preferred hike duration during booking and the approximate elevation gain you want, but these options can always be changed later. The routes available include all of the normal summer tour hiking routes except for glaciers, since hiking on a glacier won’t achieve a great sunset view. The downhill portion of the hike usually takes far less time than the uphill, so the start time is adjustable between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. to account for the elevation gain planned and the expected pace & goals of each participant, though 9 p.m. works well as a default for most groups.

To make the most of this hike, I strongly suggest staying somewhere nearby on the night of the hike where you can check in beforehand. The town of Delta Junction has several hotels, B&Bs, and vacation rental properties available, and customers can carpool with me from there to the hike and back without worrying about driving late at night. The Lodge at Black Rapids is conveniently located in the the mountains near where the tour takes place. Tangle Lakes Lodge is within an hour drive for those planning to spend time on the Denali Highway or head south to Valdez, Anchorage, or Wrangell-St. Elias National Park after the hike. The area also accommodates tent campers & RVs, with a few campgrounds nearby and plenty of open public land along the highway where it’s legal to camp overnight in Alaska.

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RATES

1 Person $400
2 People $450 ($225 per person)
3 People $575 ($192 per person)
4 People $675 ($169 per person)
5 People $775 ($155 per person)
6 People $875 ($146 per person)

Alaska Resident & Military Discount: Parties with at least one Alaska resident or active duty military personnel receive a 10% discount. Enter code “AK_AND_MILITARY_DISCOUNT” at checkout.
Add $50 per person for professional adventure portraits. (High-resolution digital files delivered via web download after your hike.)

Please note that Fairbanks and Anchorage are 2.5 hours and 4.5 hours away from the tour location, respectively, and that Delta Junction is the only town with services within 50 miles. Please take this into account when planning your travel. Unfortunately, transportation from Fairbanks or Anchorage is not available for this tour due to the unusual tour hours.

All tours are PRIVATE and involve no technical rock or ice climbing. Maximum group size 6. Children are welcome on tours but there is no youth discount. (See minimum age recommendation at top of page.) Full payment is required to reserve a tour. A 5% cancellation fee is charged when reservations are canceled at least 10 days in advance. A 50% cancellation fee is charged when reservations are canceled less than 10 days but at least three days in advance. No refunds are given for cancellations made less than three days in advance. Tours may be canceled due to extreme weather (e.g. thunderstorms or dense fog/poor visibility), highway closures, etc., in which case your tour will be rescheduled or fully refunded. However, rain, wind, and temperatures near freezing are quite common in the mountains, especially at higher elevations, so customers should dress appropriately and be prepared to face the elements. Note that light rain showers are much more common than heavy downpours in the Alaska Range. While I can often shift the date of a tour to align with better weather (subject to availability) and the route can always be shifted to take advantage of better weather, I cannot guarantee perfect weather on the day of your hike and do not provide refunds if you experience rainy or cloudy weather. If you are afraid of catching a single raindrop or clouds hampering your landscape photo opportunities, please do not bother booking! For complete tour policies and more tour information, see the Black Rapids Tours FAQ.