Located in Plumas County, California, Plumas National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is East Quincy, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Plumas National Forest lies ENE of town).
Plumas National Forest is a 1,146,000-acre (464,000 ha) United States national forest located in northern California at the northern terminus of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The Forest was named after its primary watershed, the Rio de las Plumas, or Feather River. Part of the natural area is old-growth forest and recognized by the Old-Growth Forest Network.From the Wikipedia article “Plumas National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Plumas National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:36 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 19m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Plumas National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 59 | 65 | 71 | 77 | 89 | 97 | 106 | 100 | 98 | 89 | 73 | 56 |
| Low °F | -8 | -3 | 10 | 16 | 21 | 28 | 38 | 39 | 26 | 18 | 0 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Plumas National Forest, closest first.
Ghost Town
Waterfall
State Park
Hot SpringWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallHot Spring
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lightning Tree15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Grasshopper Flat20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Grizzly21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Creek (Ca)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Long Point (Ca)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Plumas National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Plumas National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Plumas National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Plumas National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Plumas National Forest?
How far is Plumas National Forest from East Quincy?
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.