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46.6576° N121.3468° W1,274 mBortle 3Los Angeles

Clear Creek Overlook Photography Guide

Scenic Viewpoint in Yakima County, Washington · 1,274 m (4,180 ft)

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 236°–307°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Apr–Aug

Clear Creek Overlook is a scenic viewpoint in Yakima County, Washington at about 1,274 m (4,180 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Tieton, about 45 km (28 mi) away (Clear Creek Overlook lies W of town).

Elevation
1,274 m
4,180 ft
Nearest town
Tieton
45 km (28 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
July
29% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
2.3 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:39 PM
sunset 6:20 PM

Light at Clear Creek Overlook

Live
Sunrise
7:31 AM
Sunset
6:11 PM
Golden hour AM
7:12 AM – 8:13 AM
Golden hour PM
5:29 PM – 6:30 PM
Blue hour AM
7:00 AM – 7:12 AM
Blue hour PM
6:30 PM – 6:42 PM
Full darkness
7:52 PM – 5:51 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:49 PM / 1:11 AM
Day length
10h 40m
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 Clear Creek Overlook 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:09 AM89° E7:18 PM271° W43°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:13 AM54° NE9:03 PM307° NW67°15h 51m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:53 AM89° E7:05 PM271° W44°12h 12m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:48 AM125° SE4:21 PM236° SW20°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

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 AM7:46 AM8:35 AM3:56 PM4:45 PM5:19 PM8h 58m
February6:39 AM7:10 AM7:53 AM4:48 PM5:31 PM6:02 PM10h 20m
March6:49 AM7:19 AM7:59 AM6:31 PM7:11 PM7:41 PM11h 52m
April5:47 AM6:19 AM6:59 AM7:13 PM7:53 PM8:25 PM13h 35m
May4:56 AM5:32 AM6:16 AM7:49 PM8:33 PM9:09 PM15h 01m
June4:33 AM5:12 AM5:59 AM8:14 PM9:01 PM9:41 PM15h 49m
July4:50 AM5:28 AM6:13 AM8:11 PM8:56 PM9:34 PM15h 29m
August5:31 AM6:04 AM6:46 AM7:35 PM8:17 PM8:50 PM14h 13m
September6:14 AM6:44 AM7:24 AM6:39 PM7:19 PM7:49 PM12h 35m
October6:53 AM7:24 AM8:05 AM5:39 PM6:20 PM6:50 PM10h 56m
November6:36 AM7:09 AM7:55 AM3:47 PM4:33 PM5:06 PM9h 25m
December7:09 AM7:44 AM8:35 AM3:28 PM4:19 PM4:54 PM8h 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 Clear Creek Overlook, 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.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-5°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—6°—
March5:22 AM – 5:32 AM0.211°SSE → SSE
April3:25 AM – 4:15 AM0.813°SSE → SSE
May1:31 AM – 3:01 AM1.514°SSE → S
June11:53 PM – 2:13 AM2.314°SSE → SSW
July11:30 PM – 1:10 AM1.714°S → SSW
August10:18 PM – 11:08 PM0.813°SSW → SSW
September9:03 PM – 9:03 PM0.010°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—5°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.57 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F555464738292939492815947
Low °F-12-9014243034372714-11-5
Precip. (in)6.24.44.73.12.51.70.50.71.63.96.16.7

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 scenic viewpoint

  • Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
  • Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
  • 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.
  • Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.

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 Clear Creek Overlook, closest first.

Waterfall
Clear Creek Falls0.3 km away · Yakima County · 1,212 m
White Pass (Washington)Mountain Pass
White Pass (Washington)3.9 km away · Yakima County · 1,365 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Lava Creek Falls Viewpoint12 km away · Lewis County · 879 m
Waterfall
Fish Ladder Falls14 km away · Lewis County · 847 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Palisades Viewpoint16 km away · Lewis County · 677 m
William O. Douglas WildernessWilderness Area
William O. Douglas Wilderness17 km away · Yakima County
Mount AixMountain Peak
Mount Aix17 km away · Yakima County · 2,349 m
Packwood GlacierGlacier
Packwood Glacier18 km away · Lewis County
Goat Rocks WildernessWilderness Area
Goat Rocks Wilderness18 km away · Lewis County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Clear Creek Overlook?
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 Clear Creek Overlook?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:39 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:20 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 Clear Creek Overlook?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 54° in June to 125° in December; sunset ranges from 307° to 236°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Clear Creek Overlook?
Yes — the core is visible from April to August on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clear Creek Overlook?
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 Clear Creek Overlook from Tieton?
About 45 km (28 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.