Located in San Diego County, California, Pine Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 8.9 km (5.5 mi) SW of Pine Valley.
Pine Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area designated by Congress in 1984. It is located entirely in California, and managed by United States Forest Service as part of the Cleveland National Forest. The wilderness is a sloping area of 13,261 acres (53.67 km2), ranging from 2,000 ft (610 m) elevation in the south to 4,000 ft (1,200 m) in the north. It is situated entirely in California, bordered by the Hauser Wilderness to the south. Vegetation consists primarily of chaparral (dominated by chamise and scrub oak) with oak woodland along stream bottoms. Wilderness permits are required for both day and overnight use.From the Wikipedia article “Pine Creek Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pine Creek Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 61° ENE | 7:58 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 118° ESE | 4:45 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Pine Creek Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:23 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:02 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:27 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.65 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 80 | 88 | 90 | 95 | 105 | 111 | 111 | 109 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 81 |
| Low °F | 24 | 24 | 31 | 31 | 37 | 43 | 53 | 50 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Pine Creek Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
CanyonCanyonWaterfall
State Park
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Corral Canyon Campground6.6 km (4.1 mi)
- Bobcat Meadow Campground7.2 km (4.4 mi)
- Boulder Oaks Eqst11.5 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Cibbets Flat Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi)
- Wooded Hill Group18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pine Creek Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Pine Creek Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pine Creek Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pine Creek Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pine Creek Wilderness?
How far is Pine Creek Wilderness from Pine 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.