Three Sisters — a volcano in Deschutes County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) SW of Sisters.
The Three Sisters are a trio of closely spaced volcanic peaks in the U.S. state of Oregon. Named North, Middle, and South, they are part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Cascade Range in western North America extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. Each over 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) in elevation, they are the third-, fourth- and fifth-highest peaks in Oregon. Located in the Three Sisters Wilderness at the boundary of Lane and Deschutes counties and the Willamette and Deschutes national forests, they are about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of the nearest town, Sisters. Diverse species of flora and fauna inhabit the area, which is subject to frequent snowfall, occasional rain, and extreme temperature variation between seasons. The mountains, particularly South Sister, are popular destinations for climbing and scrambling.From the Wikipedia article “Three Sisters (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Three Sisters 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 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) | 5:25 AM | 56° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| 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 52m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 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 | 8:21 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 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 Three Sisters, 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 | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:17 PM – 2:57 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 11:35 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 | — | -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 ≈ 21.71 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.
- 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 Three Sisters, closest first.
Volcano
Mountain PeakVolcano
Glacier
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
LakeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Soda Creek Campground9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Meadow Campground10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Meadow Horse Camp10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Driftwood Campground - Deschutes11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Three Creeks Lake Campground11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Three Sisters?
What time is golden hour at Three Sisters?
Where does the sun rise and set at Three Sisters?
Can you see the Milky Way from Three Sisters?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Three Sisters?
How far is Three Sisters from Sisters?
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.