Located in Fresno County, California, John Muir Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Sierra National Forest. It sits roughly 47 km (29 mi) NE of Yokuts Valley.
The John Muir Wilderness is a wilderness area that extends along the crest of the Sierra Nevada of California for 90 miles (140 km), in the Inyo and Sierra National Forests. Established in 1964 by the Wilderness Act and named for naturalist John Muir, it encompasses 652,793 acres (2,641.76 km2). The wilderness lies along the eastern escarpment of the Sierra from near Mammoth Lakes and Devils Postpile National Monument in the north, to Cottonwood Pass near Mount Whitney in the south. The wilderness area also spans the Sierra crest north of Kings Canyon National Park, and extends on the west side of the park down to the Monarch Wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “John Muir Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At John Muir 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 60° ENE | 8:19 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 119° ESE | 4:43 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 38m |
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 John Muir Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:00 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 88 | 81 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 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
- 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.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- 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 John Muir Wilderness, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Cave
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassWaterfall
LakeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Convict Flat Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi)
- Hume Lake22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Princess22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Hollow Group (Sequoia National Forest, Ca)23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Logger Flat Group23 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph John Muir Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at John Muir Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at John Muir Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from John Muir Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at John Muir Wilderness?
How far is John Muir Wilderness from Yokuts Valley?
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.