Located in Jackson County, Oregon, Oregon National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is Williams, about 10.5 km (6.5 mi) away (Oregon National Forest lies SSE of town).
The Mount Hood National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon, located 62 miles (100 km) east of the city of Portland and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than 60 miles (97 km) of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes of Mount Jefferson. The Forest includes and is named after Mount Hood, a stratovolcano and the highest mountain in the state. The Forest encompasses some 1,067,043 acres (4,318.17 km2). Forest headquarters are located in Sandy, Oregon. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the Forest was 345,300 acres (139,700 ha). The Forest is divided into four separate districts – Barlow (with offices in Dufur), Clackamas River (Sandy), Hood River (Mount Hood-Parkdale), and Zigzag (Zigzag). In...From the Wikipedia article “Mount Hood National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Oregon National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 57° ENE | 8:53 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 122° ESE | 4:45 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Oregon National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:55 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:55 PM – 1:55 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:53 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 101 | 104 | 106 | 103 | 93 | 79 | 58 |
| Low °F | 7 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
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 Oregon National Forest, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
Cave
Wilderness Area
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Acorn Woman Lakes9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Flumet Flat Group Campground12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Jackson Campground On The Applegate River12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Hart-Tish Park At Applegate Lake12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Carberry Group Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Oregon National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Oregon National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Oregon National Forest?
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How far is Oregon National Forest from Williams?
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.