Located in Lane County, Oregon, Harlow Crater is a volcano at about 1,892 m (6,207 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Sisters, about 18.2 km (11.3 mi) away (Harlow Crater lies WSW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Harlow Crater the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 55° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Harlow Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 2:50 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.72 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Harlow Crater, closest first.
VolcanoVolcanoVolcano
Mountain PassVolcano
Rock FormationVolcano
GlacierVolcanoCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Scott Lake10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Cold Springs Campground (Or)13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi)
- Three Creeks Meadow Campground15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Harlow Crater?
What time is golden hour at Harlow Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Harlow Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Harlow Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Harlow Crater?
How far is Harlow Crater from Sisters?
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.