Mendocino National Forest — a national forest in Glenn County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Upper Lake, about 45 km (28 mi) away (Mendocino National Forest lies N of town).
The Mendocino National Forest is located in the Coastal Mountain Range in northwestern California and comprises 913,306 acres (3,696.02 km2). It is the only national forest in the state of California without a major paved road entering it. There are a variety of recreational opportunities — camping, hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, backpacking, boating, fishing, hunting, nature study, photography, and off-highway vehicle travel. The forest lies in parts of six counties. In descending order of forestland area they are Lake, Glenn, Mendocino, Tehama, Trinity, and Colusa counties. Forest headquarters are located in Willows, California. There are local ranger district offices in Covelo, Upper Lake, and Stonyford.From the Wikipedia article “Mendocino National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mendocino National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 58° ENE | 8:43 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 120° ESE | 4:51 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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
Forests suit soft light — overcast days reduce contrast under the canopy, and morning fog adds depth.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Mendocino National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 79 | 90 | 103 | 111 | 116 | 113 | 110 | 102 | 88 | 72 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 42 | 35 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.8 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 6.6 |
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 national forest
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Dispersed camping is often allowed, which makes sunrise and night shoots easier — check local rules.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
Suggested gear: Polarizer, Tripod, Offline maps, Insect repellent. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Recreational drones are generally allowed in national forests outside designated wilderness, subject to FAA rules and temporary flight restrictions — wildfire TFRs are common in summer.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Mendocino National Forest, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Hot Spring
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fuller Grove Group Campground19.5 km (12.1 mi)
- Masterson Group Campground19.7 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Pines Group Site - Stony Gorge Reservoir25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- North Fork - Mendocino National Forest25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground25 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mendocino National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Mendocino National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mendocino National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mendocino National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mendocino National Forest?
How far is Mendocino National Forest from Upper Lake?
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.