Inyo National Forest — a national forest in Esmeralda County, Nevada — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, about 53 km (33 mi) away (Inyo National Forest lies NNE of town).
Inyo National Forest is a United States National Forest covering parts of the eastern Sierra Nevada of California and the White Mountains of California and Nevada. The forest hosts several superlatives, including Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States; Boundary Peak, the highest point in Nevada; and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, which protects the oldest living trees in the world. The forest, encompassing much of the Owens Valley, was established by Theodore Roosevelt as a way of sectioning off land to accommodate the Los Angeles Aqueduct project in 1907, making the Inyo National Forest one of the least wooded forests in the U.S. National Forest system.From the Wikipedia article “Inyo National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Inyo National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 59° ENE | 8:19 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 120° ESE | 4:38 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Inyo National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:25 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -14 | -3 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 31 | 20 | 9 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
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
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Inyo National Forest, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain PeakWilderness Area
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Inyo National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Inyo National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Inyo National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Inyo National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Inyo National Forest?
How far is Inyo National Forest from Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek?
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.