Located in Kern County, California, Kiavah Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 16.7 km (10.4 mi) ESE of Weldon.
The Kiavah Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located in the Mojave Desert, Scodie Mountains, and southern Sierra Nevada in Kern County, California, United States. California State Route 178 connects the town of Lake Isabella to State Highway 14 in the east, crossing Walker Pass at the north boundary of the wilderness. The Kiavah Wilderness was created in 1994 with the enactment of the California Desert Protection Act (Public Law 103–433), is jointly managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and is mostly within the Sequoia National Forest. This wilderness is part of the National Cooperative Land and Wildlife Management Area and the BLM's Jawbone–Butterbredt Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which was designated to protect critical wildlife and Native American values.From the Wikipedia article “Kiavah Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kiavah 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 242° (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 | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 60° ENE | 8:12 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 119° ESE | 4:44 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:27 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 05m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 46m |
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 Kiavah Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 1:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:00 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:16 PM – 12:16 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 ≈ 21.39 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
- 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.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Kiavah Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Walker Pass Campground8.2 km (5.1 mi)
- Chimney Creek Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Long Valley Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Paradise Cove29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- South Fork Rec Campground30 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kiavah Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Kiavah Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kiavah Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kiavah Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kiavah Wilderness?
How far is Kiavah 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.