China Hat — a volcano in Deschutes County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 38 km (23 mi) E of La Pine.
China Hat is a volcanic butte on the southeastern flank of Newberry Volcano in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is a rhyolitic dome dating from the age of the Middle Pleistocene. Both China Hat and nearby East Butte are covered by Mazama Ash and Newberry Ash. Although China Hat is often thought of as a side vent of Newberry Volcano less than ten miles away, it is estimated to be older than first formation of the Newberry Caldera, 780,000 thousand years old versus 500,000 years ago and is on the western edge of a series of high lava plains eruptions derived from a tongue of the same mantle plume that fuels the Yellowstone Caldera China Hat Road, named after the butte, starts in Bend and heads to Fort Rock. The road is a hotspot for law enforcement. China Hat Campground is a campground located near China Hat butte along this road. The butte was named for its similarity in...From the Wikipedia article “China Hat (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At China Hat 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 304° (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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 56° NE | 8:50 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 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
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:42 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 57m |
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 China Hat, 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 4:56 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:52 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:56 AM – 3:26 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 1:38 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:34 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.83 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 (72%). 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 | 72 | 79 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 71 | 55 |
| Low °F | -16 | -5 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 16 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
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
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 China Hat, closest first.
Volcano
Mountain Peak
Volcano
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cinder Hill Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- East Lake Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Little Crater Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Chief Paulina Horse Camp18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Newberry Group Camp Site18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph China Hat?
What time is golden hour at China Hat?
Where does the sun rise and set at China Hat?
Can you see the Milky Way from China Hat?
Do you need a permit to photograph at China Hat?
How far is China Hat from La Pine?
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.