Located in Newton County, Arkansas, Upper Buffalo Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 33 km (21 mi) SE of Huntsville.
Upper Buffalo Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Created by an act of Congress in 1974, the wilderness covers an area of 12,108 acres (49 km²). Contained within Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, the wilderness is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Contained in the wilderness is Hawksbill Crag (also called Whitaker Point), a very popular hiking destination.From the Wikipedia article “Upper Buffalo Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Upper Buffalo Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 60° ENE | 8:34 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 119° ESE | 5:04 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Upper Buffalo Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:23 PM – 4:03 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 73 | 79 | 85 | 93 | 96 | 109 | 107 | 115 | 105 | 92 | 84 | 77 |
| Low °F | 4 | -1 | 9 | 22 | 34 | 51 | 56 | 53 | 43 | 27 | 17 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
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 wilderness area
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Upper Buffalo Wilderness, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Waterfall
CaveNatural Arch
WaterfallNatural ArchWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Steel Creek Campground18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Kyles Landing Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Ozone Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Wolf Pen Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Upper Buffalo Wilderness?
How far is Upper Buffalo Wilderness from Huntsville?
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.