Cassia National Forest — a national forest in Cassia County, Idaho — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hansen, about 41 km (26 mi) away (Cassia National Forest lies S of town).
Cassia National Forest was established as the Cassia Forest Reserve in Idaho by the U.S. Forest Service on June 12, 1905, with 326,260 acres (1,320.3 km2). It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908, it was combined with Raft River National Forest to establish Minidoka National Forest, when the name was discontinued. The land is now part of Sawtooth National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Cassia National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cassia National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 57° ENE | 9:17 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:03 AM | 122° ESE | 5:09 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:33 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:47 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:27 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:46 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:09 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:28 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Cassia National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:19 AM – 4:09 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:29 PM – 3:39 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:19 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 12:17 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:24 PM – 10:14 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.87 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 32% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 62 | 76 | 88 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 104 | 102 | 92 | 73 | 58 |
| Low °F | -15 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 31 | 45 | 44 | 32 | 16 | -5 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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 Cassia National Forest, closest first.
National Forest
WaterfallWaterfall
Hot SpringHot SpringWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bostetter Campground3.4 km (2.1 mi)
- Porcupine Springs4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Diamondfield Jack Campground5.4 km (3.3 mi) · reservable
- Diamondfield Jack Campground5.5 km (3.4 mi)
- Pettit Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cassia National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Cassia National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cassia National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cassia National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cassia National Forest?
How far is Cassia National Forest from Hansen?
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.