Umatilla National Forest — a national forest in Umatilla County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 22 km (14 mi) WNW of Elgin.
The Umatilla National Forest, in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon and southeast Washington, covers an area of 1.4 million acres (570,000 ha; 5,700 km2; 2,200 mi2). In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Umatilla, Grant, Columbia, Morrow, Wallowa, Union, Garfield, Asotin, Wheeler, and Walla Walla counties. (Columbia, Garfield, Asotin, and Walla Walla counties are in Washington, while the rest are in Oregon.) More than three-quarters of the forest lies in the state of Oregon. Forest headquarters are located in Pendleton, Oregon. Local ranger district offices are in Heppner and Ukiah in Oregon, as well as in Pomeroy and Walla Walla in Washington.From the Wikipedia article “Umatilla National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Umatilla National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 54° NE | 8:46 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 124° SE | 4:12 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:38 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:44 PM | 8h 43m |
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 Umatilla National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:09 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:00 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:25 PM – 2:15 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:06 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 8:58 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.82 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 76 | 84 | 92 | 100 | 101 | 103 | 100 | 87 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -9 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 28 | 35 | 44 | 43 | 31 | 15 | 5 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- Dispersed camping is often allowed, which makes sunrise and night shoots easier — check local rules.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Umatilla National Forest, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State Park
Waterfall
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
Lake
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Woodland Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Woodward Campground17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Summit Guard Station Bunkhouse17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Target Meadows Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Jubilee Lake Campground (Or)28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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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.