Located in Inyo County, California, Sacatar Trail Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 38 km (24 mi) NNW of Inyokern.
The Sacatar Trail Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Ridgecrest, California USA. It was created in 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act - Public Law 103-433 - and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The wilderness is 51,900 acres (210 km2) in size and protects portions of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.From the Wikipedia article “Sacatar Trail Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sacatar Trail 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 60° ENE | 8:13 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:00 AM | 119° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 44m |
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 Sacatar Trail Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| 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 | 1:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:52 PM – 4:02 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:55 PM – 2:15 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:18 PM – 12:18 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.7 | 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 ≈ 21.58 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 13% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 77 | 85 | 88 | 96 | 106 | 112 | 113 | 113 | 110 | 99 | 85 | 74 |
| Low °F | 22 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 57 | 54 | 43 | 35 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
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.
- 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 Sacatar Trail Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaWilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chimney Creek Campground13.6 km (8.5 mi)
- Long Valley Campground19.5 km (12.1 mi)
- Troy Meadow Campground25 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sacatar Trail Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Sacatar Trail Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sacatar Trail Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sacatar Trail Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sacatar Trail Wilderness?
How far is Sacatar Trail Wilderness from Inyokern?
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.