Located in Okanogan County, Washington, Chelan National Forest is a national forest. It sits roughly 41 km (26 mi) W of Tonasket.
Chelan National Forest was established in Washington by the U.S. Forest Service on July 1, 1908, with 2,492,500 acres (10,087 km2) from a portion of Washington National Forest. On July 1, 1921, it absorbed the first Okanogan National Forest, but on March 23, 1955, the name was changed back to Okanogan.From the Wikipedia article “Chelan National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chelan National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:58 AM | 52° NE | 9:07 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 126° SE | 4:07 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:42 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:15 AM | 4:58 AM | 5:47 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:47 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 4:34 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:10 PM | 4:05 PM | 4:42 PM | 8h 18m |
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 Chelan National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:50 AM – 4:00 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:47 AM – 2:37 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:56 PM – 12:36 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 10:26 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 January as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 42 | 52 | 61 | 76 | 86 | 96 | 97 | 97 | 90 | 79 | 56 | 40 |
| Low °F | -24 | -14 | -7 | 13 | 24 | 31 | 38 | 39 | 26 | 11 | -13 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
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.
- 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 Chelan National Forest, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
State Park
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Ghost Town
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chelan National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Chelan National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chelan National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chelan National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chelan National Forest?
How far is Chelan National Forest from Tonasket?
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.