West Crater — a volcano in Skamania County, Washington at about 1,260 m (4,134 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Yacolt, about 25 km (16 mi) away (West Crater lies E of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Crater the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 54° NE | 9:03 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 124° SE | 4:27 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 41m |
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 West Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:13 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.23 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 62 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 93 | 100 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 87 | 67 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 15 | 22 | 27 | 33 | 39 | 45 | 44 | 36 | 24 | 15 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 8.6 | 9.7 |
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.
- 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 West Crater, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Rock Formation
Waterfall
Botanical GardenWaterfall
Cave
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Govt Mineral Springs Guard Sta7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Campground10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Paradise Creek Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Sunset Falls Campground14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Panther Creek Campground16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Crater?
What time is golden hour at West Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Crater?
How far is West Crater from Yacolt?
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.