Muddy River Viewpoint — a scenic viewpoint in Skamania County, Washington at about 487 m (1,598 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Amboy, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Muddy River Viewpoint lies NE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Muddy River Viewpoint 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 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 54° NE | 9:04 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 124° SE | 4:26 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 39m |
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 Muddy River Viewpoint, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 2:34 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:14 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:14 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.48 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 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 60 | 59 | 70 | 84 | 90 | 95 | 101 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 65 | 57 |
| Low °F | 4 | 5 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 37 | 41 | 42 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.6 | 6.8 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 6.6 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
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 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Muddy River Viewpoint, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointWaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Marble Mountain Group Picnic Site11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Lower Falls Campground11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Lewis River Hc (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Paradise Creek Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Creek Cg (Wa) Gifford Pinchot Nf22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Muddy River Viewpoint?
What time is golden hour at Muddy River Viewpoint?
Where does the sun rise and set at Muddy River Viewpoint?
Can you see the Milky Way from Muddy River Viewpoint?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Muddy River Viewpoint?
How far is Muddy River Viewpoint from Amboy?
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.