King Range Wilderness is a wilderness area in Humboldt County, California. The nearest town is Redway, about 27 km (17 mi) away (King Range Wilderness lies W of town).
The King Range Wilderness is a 42,585-acre (172 km2) federally designated wilderness area within the King Range National Conservation Area in northern California, United States. The area was set aside with the passage of the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–362). The Bureau of Land Management is the responsible agency. This section of California's coastline is known as the Lost Coast, a landscape too rugged for highway building, which forced the construction of State Highway 1 and U.S. 101 inland. The King Range Wilderness is the longest undeveloped coast, outside of Alaska, in the United States. The Act of 2006 also set aside an area three geographical miles offshore as the Rocks and Islands Wilderness. It is the smallest wilderness area in the National Wilderness Preservation System, with a total size of five acres (2.0 ha).From the Wikipedia article “King Range Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At King Range 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) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 58° ENE | 8:50 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 121° ESE | 4:55 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 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 King Range 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 3:43 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:09 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 61% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 76 | 75 | 88 | 79 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | 35 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 47 | 49 | 51 | 48 | 44 | 39 | 35 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 5.6 | 10.8 |
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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- 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 King Range Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
Lighthouse
State Park
Natural ArchNatural Arch
State Park
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Honeydew Creek7.5 km (4.7 mi)
- Tolkan Campground11.4 km (7.1 mi)
- Nadelos Campground 19.3 km (12.0 mi)
- Wailaki Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi)
- Mattole Campground23 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph King Range Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at King Range Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at King Range Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from King Range Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at King Range Wilderness?
How far is King Range Wilderness from Redway?
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.