Rainier National Forest is a national forest in Lewis County, Washington. The nearest town is Morton, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Rainier National Forest lies ENE of town).
Rainier National Forest ( ray-NEER) was established in Washington on March 2, 1907, when its name was changed from Mount Rainier Forest Reserve. The Mount Rainier Forest Reserve was established by the United States General Land Office on February 22, 1897 (effective March 1, 1898) from the Pacific Forest Reserve and other lands with 2,234,880 acres (9,044.2 km2). In 1905 federal forests were transferred to the U.S. Forest Service. On October 13, 1933, Rainier was divided between Columbia, Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests. Its lands exists presently as portions of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Wenatchee and Gifford Pinchot National Forests.From the Wikipedia article “Rainier National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rainier National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 54° NE | 9:06 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 125° SE | 4:23 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 35m |
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 Rainier National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:34 AM – 3:04 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:16 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:33 PM – 1:13 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:11 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.43 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- 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 Rainier National Forest, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Cave
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Creek (Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Wa)11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Group Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Tower Rock Campground 22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Iron Creek Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rainier National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Rainier National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rainier National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rainier National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rainier National Forest?
How far is Rainier National Forest from Morton?
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.