Lower Williamson Gorge is a canyon in Klamath County, Oregon. It sits roughly 52 km (32 mi) N of Klamath Falls.
The Lower Williamson Gorge is located in the Winema National Forest north of Chiloquin in Klamath County, Oregon. It is formed where the Williamson River eroded its way from the Beaver Marsh area down through the escarpment north of Collier Memorial State Park into the Klamath Basin The 1990 Land and Management Plan of the Winema National Forest stated about this section of the river: "The length of the river, height of the sheer rock face above the water, and visual diversity are superior to any other area on the Forest, including the (federally designated Wild and Scenic) Sycan River. In visual diversity, it is comparable to the Klamath River Canyon and the Deschutes River. The Lower Williamson Gorge was inventoried as being distinctive in rock form, vegetation, and water from. In comparison with other rivers in south or central Oregon, Segment Two of the Lower Williamson River...From the Wikipedia article “Lower Williamson Gorge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lower Williamson Gorge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 56° ENE | 8:50 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 122° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Lower Williamson Gorge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:41 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:42 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 9:45 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 59 | 60 | 72 | 78 | 87 | 96 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 71 | 54 |
| Low °F | -12 | -10 | 4 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 17 | -6 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Lower Williamson Gorge, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
State Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lower Williamson Gorge?
What time is golden hour at Lower Williamson Gorge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lower Williamson Gorge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lower Williamson Gorge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lower Williamson Gorge?
How far is Lower Williamson Gorge from Klamath Falls?
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.