Located in Shoshone County, Idaho, St. Joe National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is Osburn, about 45 km (28 mi) away (St. Joe National Forest lies SSE of town).
The St. Joe 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 Coeur d'Alene and Kaniksu National Forests). In descending order of land area St. Joe National Forest is located in parts of Shoshone, Latah, Clearwater, and Benewah counties. It has a total area of 867,882 acres (3,512 km2).From the Wikipedia article “St. Joe National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At St. Joe 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 307° (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) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:48 AM | 53° NE | 8:43 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 125° SE | 3:56 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:31 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:07 AM | 4:47 AM | 5:35 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 4:25 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:34 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:02 PM | 3:54 PM | 4:30 PM | 8h 31m |
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 St. Joe National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:14 AM – 2:44 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:41 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:15 PM – 12:35 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 10:39 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July 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 | 47 | 52 | 63 | 76 | 83 | 96 | 99 | 101 | 91 | 81 | 59 | 44 |
| Low °F | -21 | -24 | -18 | 7 | 19 | 28 | 35 | 36 | 18 | -4 | -15 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
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
- 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 St. Joe National Forest, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Surveyors Lookout22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Arid Peak Lookout22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Creek A-Frame Cabin (Id)23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Red Ives Cabin27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Line Creek Stock Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph St. Joe National Forest?
What time is golden hour at St. Joe National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at St. Joe National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from St. Joe National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at St. Joe National Forest?
How far is St. Joe National Forest from Osburn?
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.