Wallowa–Whitman National Forest is a national forest in Wallowa County, Oregon. The nearest town is Joseph, about 18.0 km (11.2 mi) away (Wallowa–Whitman National Forest lies E of town).
The Wallowa–Whitman National Forest is a United States National Forest in the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho. Formed upon the merger of the Wallowa and Whitman national forests in 1954, it is located in the northeastern corner of Oregon, in Wallowa, Baker, Union, Grant, and Umatilla counties, and includes small areas in Nez Perce and Idaho counties in Idaho. The forest is named for the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce people, who originally lived in the area, and Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, Presbyterian missionaries who settled just to the north in 1836. Forest headquarters are located in Baker City, Oregon with ranger districts in La Grande, Joseph and Baker City.From the Wikipedia article “Wallowa–Whitman National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wallowa–Whitman National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) 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) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 55° NE | 8:40 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 124° ESE | 4:09 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Wallowa–Whitman 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:52 AM – 4:12 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:06 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 11:02 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:02 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 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 29% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 48 | 53 | 67 | 78 | 88 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 87 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -14 | -9 | 5 | 16 | 23 | 29 | 36 | 36 | 26 | 11 | -3 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
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.
- 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 Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, closest first.
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Lake
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
Lake
Lake
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wallowa–Whitman National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Wallowa–Whitman National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wallowa–Whitman National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wallowa–Whitman National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wallowa–Whitman National Forest?
How far is Wallowa–Whitman National Forest from Joseph?
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.