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44.0626° N121.7064° W2,234 mBortle 3Los Angeles

Cayuse Crater Photography Guide

Volcano in Deschutes County, Oregon · 2,234 m (7,329 ft)

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 238°–305°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep

Located in Deschutes County, Oregon, Cayuse Crater is a volcano at about 2,234 m (7,329 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sisters, about 28 km (18 mi) away (Cayuse Crater lies SSW of town).

Elevation
2,234 m
7,329 ft
Nearest town
Sisters
28 km (18 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
July
24% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
3.7 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:45 PM
sunset 6:24 PM

Light at Cayuse Crater

Live
Sunrise
7:28 AM
Sunset
6:16 PM
Golden hour AM
7:10 AM – 8:08 AM
Golden hour PM
5:36 PM – 6:34 PM
Blue hour AM
6:59 AM – 7:10 AM
Blue hour PM
6:34 PM – 6:45 PM
Full darkness
7:52 PM – 5:53 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:45 PM / 1:19 AM
Day length
10h 48m
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 Cayuse Crater 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 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:11 AM90° E7:19 PM271° W46°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:25 AM56° NE8:54 PM305° NW69°15h 30m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:55 AM89° E7:06 PM271° W46°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:39 AM123° ESE4:32 PM238° WSW23°8h 53m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:07 AM7:39 AM8:25 AM4:09 PM4:55 PM5:27 PM9h 15m
February6:37 AM7:07 AM7:48 AM4:56 PM5:37 PM6:06 PM10h 30m
March6:51 AM7:20 AM7:58 AM6:35 PM7:13 PM7:42 PM11h 53m
April5:54 AM6:24 AM7:03 AM7:12 PM7:51 PM8:21 PM13h 27m
May5:08 AM5:41 AM6:23 AM7:45 PM8:27 PM9:00 PM14h 45m
June4:48 AM5:24 AM6:08 AM8:08 PM8:52 PM9:29 PM15h 28m
July5:03 AM5:38 AM6:21 AM8:05 PM8:48 PM9:23 PM15h 10m
August5:40 AM6:11 AM6:51 AM7:33 PM8:13 PM8:44 PM14h 02m
September6:18 AM6:47 AM7:25 AM6:41 PM7:19 PM7:48 PM12h 32m
October6:53 AM7:22 AM8:01 AM5:45 PM6:24 PM6:53 PM11h 02m
November6:32 AM7:03 AM7:47 AM3:58 PM4:42 PM5:13 PM9h 39m
December7:03 AM7:36 AM8:23 AM3:43 PM4:30 PM5:03 PM8h 54m

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 Cayuse Crater, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
March5:00 AM – 5:40 AM0.714°SSE → SSE
April2:56 AM – 4:36 AM1.717°SSE → S
May1:01 AM – 3:31 AM2.517°SSE → S
June11:17 PM – 2:57 AM3.717°SSE → SSW
July11:03 PM – 1:33 AM2.517°S → SSW
August10:05 PM – 11:35 PM1.516°S → SSW
September8:58 PM – 9:28 PM0.513°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—8°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
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 ≈ 21.67 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 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 °F656577849410010310298887258
Low °F-842222633404030173-6
Precip. (in)2.92.62.52.31.81.30.20.51.02.02.93.8

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 volcano

  • 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.
  • Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
  • 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.

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Cayuse Crater, closest first.

Broken TopMountain Peak
Broken Top2.3 km away · Deschutes County · 2,756 m
Sparks LakeLake
Sparks Lake6.1 km away · Deschutes County · 1,656 m
Three SistersVolcano
Three Sisters6.8 km away · Deschutes County
Volcano
Le Conte Crater7.6 km away · Deschutes County
Tumalo MountainMountain Peak
Tumalo Mountain8.2 km away · Deschutes County · 2,370 m
Mount BachelorMountain Peak
Mount Bachelor9.4 km away · Deschutes County · 2,759 m
Waterfall
Chush Falls9.9 km away · Deschutes County · 1,695 m
Waterfall
Bridge Creek Falls11 km away · Deschutes County
Tumalo FallsWaterfall
Tumalo Falls12 km away · Deschutes County · 1,549 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Cayuse Crater?
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. Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
What time is golden hour at Cayuse Crater?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:45 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:24 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:01 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Cayuse Crater?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 56° in June to 123° in December; sunset ranges from 305° to 238°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Cayuse Crater?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cayuse Crater?
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 Cayuse Crater from Sisters?
About 28 km (18 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.