Puget Sound Evenings: Seattle's Long Light

Seattle sits on a narrow isthmus between Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east, giving it two distinct golden-hour orientations. Sunsets fall over the Sound and the Olympic Mountains; the range, peaking at 2,428 meters, creates a dramatic alpine backdrop behind the city skyline. Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill is the canonical position: a 180-degree view across the Space Needle to the Sound, with Mount Rainier appearing to the southeast on clear days at 4,392 meters. At 47.6°N, the golden window stretches 52 minutes in summer, providing generous time to work different angles. Summer solstice sunsets push past 9pm, extending usable light deep into the evening. Myrtle Edwards Park waterfront gives a low-angle view of Puget Sound from sea level. Rainier from the east side of the city, backlit in morning, is the other defining shot.