Located in Clearwater County, Idaho, Clearwater National Forest is a national forest. It sits roughly 92 km (57 mi) WSW of Orchard Homes.
Clearwater National Forest with headquarters on the Nez Perce Reservation at Kamiah is located in North Central Idaho in the northwestern United States. The forest is bounded on the east by the state of Montana, on the north by the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, and on the south and west by the Nez Perce National Forest and Palouse Prairie. The North Fork of the Clearwater and the Lochsa rivers provide miles of tumbling white water interspersed with quiet pools for migratory and resident fish. The mountains provide a habitat for raccoon, elk, moose, black bear, two species of fox, bald eagle, marten, white-tailed and mule deer, coyote, wolf packs, cougar, boreal owl, river otter, muskrat, beaver, pika, fisher, mink, and mountain goat. In 2012, Clearwater National Forest and Nez Perce National Forest were administratively combined as Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, with...From the Wikipedia article “Clearwater National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clearwater National Forest 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 307° (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) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:48 AM | 54° NE | 8:38 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 124° SE | 3:56 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 34m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:28 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 4:32 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:44 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 4:09 AM | 4:48 AM | 5:35 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 4:26 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:04 PM | 3:55 PM | 4:30 PM | 8h 36m |
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 Clearwater National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:00 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:55 AM – 2:45 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:25 PM – 1:55 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 12:43 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 10:42 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 8:38 PM | 0.0 | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 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 32% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 45 | 51 | 68 | 80 | 87 | 96 | 98 | 102 | 94 | 86 | 64 | 47 |
| Low °F | -22 | -23 | -9 | 8 | 20 | 30 | 38 | 37 | 23 | 2 | -5 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.9 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 6.0 |
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.
- 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 Clearwater National Forest, closest first.
Hot SpringHot Spring
Hot Spring
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Liz Creek Cabin12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Castle Butte Lookout13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Scurvy Mountain Lookout15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Liz Butte Cabin17.4 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Kelly Forks Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clearwater National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Clearwater National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clearwater National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clearwater National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clearwater National Forest?
How far is Clearwater National Forest from Orchard Homes?
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.