Caribou Wilderness is a wilderness area in Lassen County, California. It lies in or next to Lassen Volcanic National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Chester, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Caribou Wilderness lies N of town).
The Caribou Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area created by the Wilderness Act of 1964 and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is located 60 miles (97 km) east of Redding in the state of California, United States. The Caribou Wilderness comprises 20,546 acres (83.15 km2) and is adjacent to the east side of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Although the park (which includes its own Lassen Volcanic Wilderness area) is surrounded by Lassen National Forest, it is managed separately by the National Park Service, whereas the U.S. Forest Service manages the wilderness. Elevations range from 6,400 feet (2,000 m) to 8,374 feet (2,552 m).From the Wikipedia article “Caribou Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Caribou Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:39 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 121° ESE | 4:42 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Caribou Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:47 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:57 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 65 | 74 | 88 | 94 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | -1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 21 | -2 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 7.1 |
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
- 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.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Caribou Wilderness, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Lake
National Forest
Fire Lookout
Lake
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Bowl Campground3.2 km (2.0 mi)
- Rocky Knoll Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi)
- Juniper Lake Stock Corral9.7 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Juniper Lake Group9.7 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Butte Lake Stock Corral11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Caribou Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Caribou Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Caribou Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Caribou Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Caribou Wilderness?
How far is Caribou Wilderness from Chester?
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.