Located in Kern County, California, Chimney Peak Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Weldon, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Chimney Peak Wilderness lies NE of town).
The Chimney Peak Wilderness is a 13,134-acre (53.15 km2) wilderness area located 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Ridgecrest, in southeastern Tulare County, California. The 1994 California Desert Protection Act (Public Law 103–433) created the wilderness and it is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Department of the Interior. The Chimney Peak Wilderness is a rugged and mountainous Mojave Desert environment on the eastern side of the Southern Sierra Nevada Range. The wilderness is named for Chimney Peak, elevation 7,871 feet (2,399 m), located in the northeast corner of the wilderness. The area has Mojave Desert plants such as Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) and creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) on the valley floors and alluvial fans and in the Sierra foothills. Higher Sierra elevations have single-leaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla).From the Wikipedia article “Chimney Peak Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chimney Peak 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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 60° ENE | 8:13 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:00 AM | 119° ESE | 4:43 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 | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Chimney Peak 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 4:01 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:17 PM – 12:17 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:13 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.52 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 13% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 83 | 82 | 89 | 96 | 108 | 112 | 112 | 111 | 111 | 101 | 90 | 80 |
| Low °F | 22 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 36 | 39 | 51 | 49 | 42 | 35 | 24 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 |
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
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Chimney Peak Wilderness, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chimney Creek Campground4.1 km (2.5 mi)
- Long Valley Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi)
- Walker Pass Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Horse Meadow Campground26 km (16 mi)
- Troy Meadow Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chimney Peak Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Chimney Peak Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chimney Peak Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chimney Peak Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chimney Peak Wilderness?
How far is Chimney Peak Wilderness from Weldon?
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.