Located in Tehama County, California, Ishi Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Forest Ranch, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Ishi Wilderness lies NNW of town).
The Ishi Wilderness is a 41,339 acre (167 km2) wilderness area located on the Lassen National Forest in the Shasta Cascade foothills of northern California, United States. The Ishi Wilderness is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of Red Bluff. The wilderness was created when the US Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984. The land is etched by wind and water, and dotted with basalt outcroppings, caves, and unusual pillar lava formations. The land is a series of east-west running ridges framing rugged river canyons, with the highest ridges attaining elevations of 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Deer Creek and Mill Creek are the principal drainages and flow into the Sacramento River. The Ishi Wilderness is the only protected area in California that preserves a significant portion of the Sierra/Cascade foothill region of the southernmost Cascade Ranges. Almost the entire...From the Wikipedia article “Ishi Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ishi 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 58° ENE | 8:40 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Ishi Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 7:59 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 mag/arcsec².
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
- 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.
- 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 Ishi Wilderness, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Hot SpringHot SpringWaterfall
Volcano
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Black Rock Campground6.6 km (4.1 mi)
- Butte Meadows Campground17.8 km (11.1 mi)
- Potato Patch Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi)
- Hole-In-The-Ground Campground26 km (16 mi)
- Battle Creek Campground26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ishi Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Ishi Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ishi Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ishi Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ishi Wilderness?
How far is Ishi Wilderness from Forest Ranch?
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.