Marble Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in Siskiyou County, California. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) SSE of Happy Camp.
The Marble Mountain Wilderness is a 241,744-acre (978.30 km2) wilderness area located 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Yreka, California, in the United States. It is managed by the United States Forest Service and is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County. The land was first set aside in April 1931 as the Marble Mountain Primitive Area, which comprised 234,957 acres (950.84 km2). It was one of four areas to gain primitive status under the Forest Service's L-20 regulations that year. In 1964, it became a federally designated wilderness area when the U.S. Congress passed the Wilderness Act. The name comes from the distinctive coloration caused by light-colored limestone along with black metamorphic rock on some peaks, giving the mountains a marbled appearance. There are at least five different rock types identified here.From the Wikipedia article “Marble Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marble Mountain Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 57° ENE | 8:51 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 121° ESE | 4:47 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Marble Mountain Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:59 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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. Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 76 | 81 | 90 | 100 | 103 | 100 | 101 | 92 | 79 | 67 |
| Low °F | 16 | 17 | 22 | 27 | 30 | 35 | 42 | 42 | 37 | 30 | 20 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.0 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 6.9 | 11.0 |
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.
- 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 Marble Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
National ForestWaterfallWaterfall
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indian Scotty Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Oak Bottom Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Nordheimer Main Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Nordheimer Group Sites24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Dillon Creek Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marble Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Marble Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marble Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marble Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marble Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Marble Mountain Wilderness from Happy Camp?
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.