Viewpoint Waterhole — a scenic viewpoint in Deschutes County, Oregon at about 1,409 m (4,623 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 68 km (42 mi) SSE of Prineville.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Viewpoint Waterhole the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 56° NE | 8:48 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 123° ESE | 4:28 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:41 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Viewpoint Waterhole, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:09 PM – 2:49 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 9:32 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 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 July as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 59 | 61 | 75 | 81 | 91 | 97 | 103 | 99 | 98 | 87 | 71 | 57 |
| Low °F | -14 | -3 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 28 | 38 | 37 | 29 | 15 | 2 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Viewpoint Waterhole?
What time is golden hour at Viewpoint Waterhole?
Where does the sun rise and set at Viewpoint Waterhole?
Can you see the Milky Way from Viewpoint Waterhole?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Viewpoint Waterhole?
How far is Viewpoint Waterhole from Prineville?
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.