Medicine Lake Volcano — a volcano in Siskiyou County, California — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Lava Beds National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is McCloud, about 58 km (36 mi) away (Medicine Lake Volcano lies NE of town).
Medicine Lake Volcano is a large shield volcano in northeastern California about 30 mi (50 km) northeast of Mount Shasta. The volcano is located in a zone of east–west crustal extension east of the main axis of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range. The 0.6 mi (1 km) thick shield is 30 mi (50 km) from east to west and 50 mi (80 km) from north to south, and covers more than 800 sq mi (2,200 km2). The underlying rock has downwarped by 0.3 mi (0.5 km) under the center of the volcano. The volcano is primarily composed of basalt and basaltic andesite lava flows, and has a 4 by 7 mi (7 by 12 km) caldera at the center. The Medicine Lake shield rises about 3,900 ft (1,200 m) above the Modoc Plateau to an elevation of 7,795 ft (2,376 m). Lavas from Medicine Lake Volcano are estimated to be at least 140 cu mi (600 km3) in volume, making Medicine Lake the largest volcano by volume in...From the Wikipedia article “Medicine Lake Volcano”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Medicine Lake Volcano the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 57° ENE | 8:45 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Medicine Lake Volcano, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:52 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:52 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
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 volcano
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Medicine Lake Volcano, closest first.
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- Medicine Lake Recreation Area1.2 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Little Mt. Hoffman Lookout5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Indian Well Campground17.0 km (10.5 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Medicine Lake Volcano?
What time is golden hour at Medicine Lake Volcano?
Where does the sun rise and set at Medicine Lake Volcano?
Can you see the Milky Way from Medicine Lake Volcano?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Medicine Lake Volcano?
How far is Medicine Lake Volcano from McCloud?
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.