Candy Mountain — a mountain peak in Benton County, Washington at about 425 m (1,394 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 5.1 km (3.2 mi) S of West Richland.
Candy Mountain is a small mountain located just outside West Richland, Washington. Candy Mountain rises above the Tri-Cities, located between Badger Mountain to the south and Red Mountain to the north. Candy Mountain is connected to Badger Mountain by Goose Gap. There is a primitive road leading to the top, and the remains of an old radio tower. The non-profit organization Friends of Badger Mountain, in collaboration with Benton County, raised funds and pursued grants to purchase 200 acres of land surrounding Candy Mountain to build new trails on the mountain and connect it to Badger Mountain.From the Wikipedia article “Candy Mountain (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
From the National Park Service
On a clear day the summit of Candy Mountain reveals panoramic views of the Tri-Cities region and the Hanford Site. As you enjoy the 3.6 mile (5.8 km) roundtrip hike, you will pass markers that explain the impact of the ice age floods on area geography. The summit offers sweeping 360-degree views and a sign that identifies the areas of the Hanford Site involved in plutonium production. The mountain itself was once an island in the massive glacial Lake Lewis during the last ice age 15,000 years ago. Interpretive signs along the trail tell the story of the ice age floods. A rock monument on the trail at elevation 1,250 feet (381 meters) marks the highest shoreline of ancient Lake Lewis. Remnants of the ice age floods visible along the trail include large boulders called “erratics,” transported hundreds of miles in icebergs that melted and dropped their heavy cargo in the ancient lake. Other signs along the trail point out native plants and animals. The summit offers one of the best views of the Hanford Site, allowing you to understand the vastness of the area the government appropriated for the Manhattan Project, the American effort to develop an atomic bomb. In 1942, General Leslie R. Groves, military leader of the Manhattan Project, directed Lieutenant Colonel Franklin T. Matthias to search the United States for a place to produce plutonium. After viewing several locations, Matthias visited Hanford on December 22 and knew he found an ideal place to produce plutonium. Groves wanted a large, sparsely populated area with ready access to water and electricity. The towns of Hanford, White Bluffs, and Richland were near the site, but all were small farming communities. The Columbia River could supply the water needed to cool the nuclear reactors. The project could get the massive amounts of electric power required for plutonium production from Grand Coulee Dam, which began operating in 1942. On January 16, 1943, Groves approved the Hanford Site as the center for plutonium production. From the summit, you can see the 300 Area north of Richland. The 300 Area Fuel Fabrication Site turned hundreds of thousands of tons of uranium into fuel slugs that the Hanford nuclear reactors irradiated to produce plutonium for the war effort. In the west along the river, the 100 Area contained the nuclear reactors, including B Reactor , the world's first full-scale nuclear
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Candy Mountain 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° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 54° NE | 8:54 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 124° SE | 4:14 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 36m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:52 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 38m |
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 Candy Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 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 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:09 AM – 2:59 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:36 PM – 2:16 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:06 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 10:57 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 26% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (79%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 76 | 89 | 99 | 108 | 110 | 109 | 102 | 87 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 33 | 42 | 49 | 48 | 34 | 19 | 15 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.6 |
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 Candy Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lighthouse
Rock Formation
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Candy Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Candy Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Candy Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Candy Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Candy Mountain?
How far is Candy Mountain from West Richland?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, National Park Service, 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.