Feather Canyon is a canyon in Plumas County, California. The nearest town is Magalia, about 28 km (18 mi) away (Feather Canyon lies ENE of town).
The North Fork Feather River is a watercourse of the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades in the U.S. state of California. It flows generally southwards from its headwaters near Lassen Peak to Lake Oroville, a reservoir formed by Oroville Dam in the foothills of the Sierra, where it runs into the Feather River. The river drains about 2,100 square miles (5,400 km2) of the western slope of the Sierras. By discharge, it is the largest tributary of the Feather.From the Wikipedia article “North Fork Feather River”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Feather Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Feather Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). July 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 | 74 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 100 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 108 | 99 | 85 | 69 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 39 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 31 | 14 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.4 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 7.2 |
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 canyon
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Feather Canyon, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sundew Campground (Ca)10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Gansner Bar Campground (Ca)10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Mill Creek Campground (Plumas)10.4 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Hutchins11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground (Plumas)12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Feather Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Feather Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Feather Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Feather Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Feather Canyon?
How far is Feather Canyon from Magalia?
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.