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45.6423° N121.9309° W40 mBortle 4Los Angeles

Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp Photography Guide

Scenic Viewpoint in Multnomah County, Oregon · 40 m (131 ft)

  • Bortle 4 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 237°–306°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Apr–Aug

Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp is a scenic viewpoint in Multnomah County, Oregon. It sits roughly 4.4 km (2.7 mi) SW of Cascade Locks.

Elevation
40 m
131 ft
Nearest town
Cascade Locks
4.4 km (2.7 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 4
Rural / suburban transition
Clearest month
July
25% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
2.8 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:43 PM
sunset 6:23 PM

Light at Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp

Live
Sunrise
7:32 AM
Sunset
6:15 PM
Golden hour AM
7:13 AM – 8:13 AM
Golden hour PM
5:34 PM – 6:33 PM
Blue hour AM
7:01 AM – 7:13 AM
Blue hour PM
6:33 PM – 6:45 PM
Full darkness
7:54 PM – 5:54 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:49 PM / 1:16 AM
Day length
10h 43m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:12 AM89° E7:20 PM271° W44°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:19 AM54° NE9:01 PM306° NW68°15h 42m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:55 AM89° E7:07 PM271° W45°12h 12m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:46 AM124° SE4:27 PM237° WSW21°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

Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.

Month (15th)Blue hour startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:12 AM7:45 AM8:32 AM4:03 PM4:50 PM5:24 PM9h 05m
February6:40 AM7:11 AM7:53 AM4:53 PM5:35 PM6:05 PM10h 24m
March6:52 AM7:21 AM8:00 AM6:35 PM7:14 PM7:43 PM11h 53m
April5:51 AM6:23 AM7:02 AM7:14 PM7:54 PM8:25 PM13h 32m
May5:03 AM5:38 AM6:21 AM7:49 PM8:32 PM9:07 PM14h 55m
June4:41 AM5:19 AM6:05 AM8:14 PM8:59 PM9:38 PM15h 41m
July4:57 AM5:34 AM6:18 AM8:10 PM8:55 PM9:31 PM15h 21m
August5:37 AM6:09 AM6:50 AM7:36 PM8:17 PM8:50 PM14h 08m
September6:17 AM6:47 AM7:26 AM6:42 PM7:21 PM7:51 PM12h 34m
October6:55 AM7:25 AM8:05 AM5:43 PM6:23 PM6:53 PM10h 59m
November6:36 AM7:08 AM7:53 AM3:53 PM4:38 PM5:11 PM9h 30m
December7:08 AM7:42 AM8:32 AM3:36 PM4:25 PM4:59 PM8h 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 Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
March5:14 AM – 5:34 AM0.312°SSE → SSE
April3:14 AM – 4:24 AM1.214°SSE → SSE
May1:15 AM – 3:15 AM2.015°SSE → S
June11:40 PM – 2:30 AM2.815°SSE → SSW
July11:21 PM – 1:21 AM2.015°S → SSW
August10:15 PM – 11:15 PM1.014°SSW → SSW
September9:03 PM – 9:13 PM0.211°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—6°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
DecemberBelow 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: 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 ≈ 21.22 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F616074809093999696836457
Low °F-27102429374242321810
Precip. (in)5.33.94.33.02.31.60.40.61.33.25.36.3

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 scenic viewpoint

  • Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
  • Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
  • Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
  • A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
  • Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
  • Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.

Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.

Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp, closest first.

Sheridan State Scenic CorridorState Park
Sheridan State Scenic Corridor2.0 km away · Hood River County
Hot Spring
Moffetts Hot Springs2.8 km away · Skamania County
Wahclella FallsWaterfall
Wahclella Falls3.1 km away · Multnomah County · 93 m
Waterfall
Tanner Creek Falls3.2 km away · Multnomah County · 132 m
Metlako FallsWaterfall
Metlako Falls3.3 km away · Hood River County · 68 m
Punch Bowl FallsWaterfall
Punch Bowl Falls3.7 km away · Hood River County · 115 m
Waterfall
Wahe Falls3.9 km away · Multnomah County · 167 m
Waterfall
Moffett Falls4.0 km away · Multnomah County · 48 m
John B. Yeon State Scenic CorridorState Park
John B. Yeon State Scenic Corridor5.0 km away · Multnomah County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
What time is golden hour at Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:43 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:23 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:05 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 54° in June to 124° in December; sunset ranges from 306° to 237°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp?
Yes — the core is visible from April to August on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Eagle Creek Overlook Group Camp from Cascade Locks?
About 4.4 km (2.7 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

Sources

Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.