Seven Devils Mountains. Hells Canyon Wilderness, Payette National Forest, Adams County, Idaho
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44.9108° N116.1030° WBortle 4Boise

Payette National Forest Photography Guide

National Forest in Valley County, Idaho

  • Bortle 4 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 237°–305°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Apr–Aug
Photo: T. Demetriades · Public domain · source

Payette National Forest — a national forest in Valley County, Idaho — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.

The Payette National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in central western Idaho, in parts of Valley, Idaho, Adams, and Washington counties. The land area consists of approximately 2.3 million acres (9,300 km2) of federally managed lands. It is bordered by Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and the Hells Canyon to the west, Salmon-Challis National Forest to the east, Boise National Forest to the south, and the Nez Perce National Forest to the north. The Payette National Forest is a part of the Intermountain Region (Region 4). It is under the jurisdiction of a forest supervisor in McCall and is divided into five ranger districts: McCall, Krassel, New Meadows, Council, and Weiser.From the Wikipedia article “Payette National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
McCall
300 m
Sky darkness
Bortle 4
Rural / suburban transition
Clearest month
July
26% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
3.2 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:21 PM
sunset 7:01 PM

Light at Payette National Forest

Live
Sunrise
8:07 AM
Sunset
6:53 PM
Golden hour AM
7:49 AM – 8:48 AM
Golden hour PM
6:12 PM – 7:11 PM
Blue hour AM
7:37 AM – 7:49 AM
Blue hour PM
7:11 PM – 7:22 PM
Full darkness
8:30 PM – 6:31 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
4:24 PM / 1:54 AM
Day length
10h 45m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Boise. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Payette National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:48 AM90° E7:57 PM271° W45°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:59 AM55° NE9:35 PM305° NW69°15h 36m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:32 AM89° E7:44 PM271° W45°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)8:20 AM123° ESE5:07 PM237° WSW22°8h 46m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:47 AM8:19 AM9:06 AM4:43 PM5:29 PM6:02 PM9h 10m
February7:16 AM7:46 AM8:27 AM5:32 PM6:13 PM6:43 PM10h 27m
March7:29 AM7:58 AM8:37 AM7:12 PM7:51 PM8:20 PM11h 53m
April6:30 AM7:00 AM7:40 AM7:50 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM13h 29m
May5:42 AM6:16 AM6:59 AM8:24 PM9:07 PM9:41 PM14h 50m
June5:21 AM5:58 AM6:43 AM8:48 PM9:33 PM10:10 PM15h 35m
July5:37 AM6:13 AM6:57 AM8:45 PM9:29 PM10:05 PM15h 16m
August6:15 AM6:47 AM7:28 AM8:12 PM8:52 PM9:24 PM14h 05m
September6:55 AM7:24 AM8:03 AM7:18 PM7:57 PM8:27 PM12h 33m
October7:31 AM8:01 AM8:41 AM6:21 PM7:01 PM7:31 PM11h 00m
November7:11 AM7:43 AM8:27 AM4:33 PM5:17 PM5:49 PM9h 34m
December7:43 AM8:16 AM9:05 AM4:16 PM5:05 PM5:38 PM8h 48m

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 Payette National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
March5:48 AM – 6:08 AM0.312°SSE → SSE
April3:47 AM – 5:07 AM1.315°SSE → S
May1:45 AM – 3:55 AM2.216°SSE → S
June12:06 AM – 3:16 AM3.216°SSE → SSW
July11:49 PM – 1:59 AM2.216°S → SSW
August10:47 PM – 11:57 PM1.215°SSW → SSW
September9:37 PM – 9:57 PM0.312°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
DecemberBelow 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 26% average cloud cover) and January 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F42516577881021029995856547
Low °F-18-10-211223138362712-10-14
Precip. (in)3.52.93.52.42.21.70.40.51.01.93.04.5

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 Payette National Forest, closest first.

Ponderosa State ParkState Park
Ponderosa State Park3.3 km away · Valley County
Scenic Viewpoint
Payette Lake Overlook6.2 km away · Valley County · 1,572 m
Hot Spring
Hot Springs21 km away · Adams County
Hot Spring
Buckhorn Hot Spring21 km away · Valley County
Hot Spring
Hot Spring25 km away · Boise County
Waterfall
Lost Creek Falls28 km away · Adams County · 1,337 m
Hot Spring
Starkey Hot Springs28 km away · Adams County
Hot Spring
Gold Fork Hot Spring29 km away · Valley County
Hot Spring
Arling Hot Spring30 km away · Valley County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Payette National Forest?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
What time is golden hour at Payette National Forest?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:21 PM and ends after sunset at about 7:01 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:41 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Payette National Forest?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 55° in June to 123° in December; sunset ranges from 305° to 237°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Payette National Forest?
Yes — the core is visible from April to August on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Payette National Forest?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Payette National Forest from McCall?
About 300 m in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.