Mount Thielsen — a mountain peak in Douglas County, Oregon at about 2,783 m (9,131 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Crater Lake National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Eagle Point, about 97 km (60 mi) away (Mount Thielsen lies NE of town).
Mount Thielsen (Klamath: hisc’akwaleeʔas), is an extinct shield volcano in the Oregon High Cascades, near Mount Bailey. Because eruptive activity ceased 250,000 years ago, glaciers have heavily eroded the volcano's structure, creating precipitous slopes and a horn-like peak. The spire-like shape of Thielsen attracts lightning strikes and creates fulgurite, an unusual mineral. The prominent horn forms a centerpiece for the Mount Thielsen Wilderness, a reserve for recreational activities such as skiing and hiking. Thielsen is one of Oregon's Matterhorns. Thielsen was produced by subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate under the North American Plate. Volcanism near the Cascades dates back to 55 million years ago (mya), and extends from British Columbia to California. Thielsen is part of the High Cascades, a branch of the main Cascades range that includes several Oregon volcanoes less than...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Thielsen”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Thielsen the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 56° NE | 8:52 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 122° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Mount Thielsen, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 3:37 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 3:00 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 1:47 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). August 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 | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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 mountain peak
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Thielsen, closest first.
Lake
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Volcano
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
National Forest
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Diamond Lake5.4 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- South Shore Pavilion6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Broken Arrow Campground6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Thielsen View Campground8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Kelsay Valley Horse Camp18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Thielsen?
What time is golden hour at Mount Thielsen?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Thielsen?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Thielsen?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Thielsen?
How far is Mount Thielsen from Eagle Point?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.