Located in Wasco County, Oregon, Pulpit Rock is a rock formation. The nearest town is The Dalles, about 800 m away (Pulpit Rock lies W of town).
The Wascopam Mission or Dalles Mission was a branch of the Methodist Mission opened at Celilo Falls in 1838. Among the tribes proselytized were members of the Cayuse, Klickitat, Nez Perce, Shasta, Tenino, Walla Wallas, and Wasco-Wishram. In 1847 the mission was closed and later became the site of Fort Dalles.From the Wikipedia article “Wascopam Mission”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pulpit Rock the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) 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) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 54° NE | 8:58 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 124° SE | 4:24 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 43m |
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 Pulpit Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:20 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:33 PM – 2:33 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:16 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 9:20 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.56 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 61 | 60 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 93 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 83 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 7 | 10 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 32 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
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 rock formation
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Pulpit Rock, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Ghost Town
State Park
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pulpit Rock?
What time is golden hour at Pulpit Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pulpit Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pulpit Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pulpit Rock?
How far is Pulpit Rock from The Dalles?
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.