Buckhorn Mountain — a mountain peak in Jefferson County, Washington at about 2,111 m (6,926 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Buckhorn Wilderness. The nearest town is Sequim, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Buckhorn Mountain lies S of town).
Buckhorn Mountain is a peak in the Olympic Mountains in the U.S. state of Washington. It is in Olympic National Forest on the Olympic Peninsula.From the Wikipedia article “Buckhorn Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buckhorn Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 53° NE | 9:16 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 125° SE | 4:23 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Buckhorn Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:47 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:48 AM – 3:08 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:22 AM – 2:02 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:51 PM – 1:01 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:31 PM – 11:01 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.17 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Buckhorn Mountain, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
National Forest
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Falls View Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi)
- Dungeness Forks Campground16.5 km (10.2 mi)
- Deer Park Campground17.3 km (10.8 mi)
- Collins Campground17.5 km (10.8 mi)
- Interrorem Cabin18.6 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buckhorn Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Buckhorn Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buckhorn Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buckhorn Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buckhorn Mountain?
How far is Buckhorn Mountain from Sequim?
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.