Located in Skamania County, Washington, Columbia River Gorge is a canyon. It is part of Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It sits roughly 3.1 km (1.9 mi) SE of Carson.
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep, the canyon stretches for over eighty miles (130 km) as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. Extending roughly from the confluence of the Columbia with the Deschutes River (and the towns of Roosevelt, Washington, and Arlington, Oregon) in the east down to the eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area, the water gap furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia Plateau and the Pacific Ocean. It is thus that the routes of Interstate 84, U.S. Route 30, Washington State Route 14, and railroad tracks on both sides run through the gorge. A popular recreational destination, the gorge...From the Wikipedia article “Columbia River Gorge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Columbia River Gorge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 54° NE | 9:01 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 124° SE | 4:26 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:32 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Columbia River Gorge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:13 AM – 4:23 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:14 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:39 PM – 2:29 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:20 PM – 1:20 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 11:14 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:12 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.4 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Columbia River Gorge, closest first.
Hot Spring
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wyeth Campground2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Creek Campground12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Creek Overlook Grp Site12.8 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Wahtum Lake Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi)
- Panther Creek Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Columbia River Gorge?
What time is golden hour at Columbia River Gorge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Columbia River Gorge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Columbia River Gorge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Columbia River Gorge?
How far is Columbia River Gorge from Carson?
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.