Located in Shoshone County, Idaho, Coeur d'Alene National Forest is a national forest. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) N of Pinehurst.
The Coeur d'Alene National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the Idaho panhandle and is one of three forests that are aggregated into the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (the other two are the Kaniksu and St. Joe National Forests). Located in Shoshone, Kootenai, and Bonner counties in northern Idaho, it has a total area of 726,362 acres (1,135 sq mi or 2,940 km2). The forest headquarters is located in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. There are local ranger district offices located in Coeur d'Alene and Silverton.From the Wikipedia article “Coeur d'Alene National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coeur d'Alene National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:47 AM | 53° NE | 8:48 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 125° SE | 3:56 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:31 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:53 PM | 15h 08m |
| June | 4:06 AM | 4:47 AM | 5:35 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:24 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 37m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:39 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:43 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:01 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:30 PM | 8h 26m |
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 Coeur d'Alene National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:21 AM – 2:41 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 1:35 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:24 PM – 12:34 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 10:34 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 49 | 54 | 65 | 79 | 87 | 101 | 100 | 105 | 94 | 85 | 61 | 48 |
| Low °F | -20 | -19 | -10 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 38 | 38 | 22 | 2 | -18 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.1 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
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
- 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.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Coeur d'Alene National Forest, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
State Park
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Lake
Ghost Town
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bumblebee Campground11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Spyglass Ground House12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Magee Rangers Cabin13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Big Hank13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Devils Elbow15.7 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Coeur d'Alene National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Coeur d'Alene National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Coeur d'Alene National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Coeur d'Alene National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Coeur d'Alene National Forest?
How far is Coeur d'Alene National Forest from Pinehurst?
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.