Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest — a national forest in Carbon County, Wyoming — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 51 km (32 mi) ENE of Saratoga.
Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest is the official title to a U.S. Forest Service managed area extending over 2,222,313 acres (8,993.38 km2) in the states of Wyoming and Colorado, United States. What were once three separate areas, Medicine Bow National Forest, Routt National Forest, and Thunder Basin National Grassland were administratively combined in 1995 due to similarity of the resources, proximity to each other and for administrative purposes.From the Wikipedia article “Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Medicine Bow–Routt 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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 57° ENE | 8:43 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 121° ESE | 4:39 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 | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:43 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:21 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 1:51 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 43 | 46 | 65 | 72 | 85 | 90 | 91 | 88 | 87 | 74 | 61 | 49 |
| Low °F | -25 | -38 | -15 | -9 | 8 | 24 | 37 | 32 | 20 | -3 | -12 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bow River Ranger Station15.7 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Brooklyn Lake Campground23 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Little Brooklyn Lake Guard24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- North Fork (Wy)25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Sugarloaf Campground (Wy)26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest?
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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.