Cache National Forest — a national forest in Cache County, Utah — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Providence, about 15.4 km (9.6 mi) away (Cache National Forest lies E of town).
Cache National Forest is a 533,840-acre area of National Forest System land in Idaho and Utah. It was established on July 1, 1908, by the U.S. Forest Service. The majority of its area is in Utah, and was initially created when the Bear River National Forest was disbanded. On July 1, 1915, all of Pocatello National Forest was added. In 1973 the Idaho portion was transferred to the administration of Caribou National Forest, while the Utah portion was combined administratively with Wasatch National Forest, creating the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. In descending order of forestland area, the Cache National Forest portion is located in Cache, Bear Lake, Franklin, Weber, Rich, Box Elder, Caribou, and Morgan counties. (Bear Lake, Franklin, and Caribou counties are in Idaho, and the rest in Utah.) The forest has a current area of 701,453 acres (2,838.68 km2), which comprises 43.56% of the...From the Wikipedia article “Cache National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cache National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 57° ENE | 9:05 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 121° ESE | 5:00 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 10m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Cache National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:56 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.19 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 53 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 97 | 93 | 89 | 80 | 65 | 50 |
| Low °F | -19 | -23 | -4 | 4 | 18 | 25 | 37 | 35 | 22 | 1 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Cache National Forest, closest first.
Canyon
State Park
Wilderness Area
Lake
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
National Forest
Canyon
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Spring Campground3.0 km (1.9 mi)
- Spring Campground (Ut)3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Friendship Campground3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Blacksmith Fork Guard Station4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Pioneer Campground (Ut)7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cache National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Cache National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cache National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cache National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cache National Forest?
How far is Cache National Forest from Providence?
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.