Siskiyou Wilderness — a wilderness area in Del Norte County, California — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Happy Camp, about 33 km (20 mi) away (Siskiyou Wilderness lies WSW of town).
The Siskiyou Wilderness is a 182,802 acres (739.77 km2) federal wilderness area in the Six Rivers, Klamath, and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests in Northern California. It was designated by the passage of the California Wilderness Act of 1984 and was 153,000 acres (620 km2) until 2006, when the Northern California Wild Heritage Act added 30,122 acres (121.90 km2). The U.S. Forest Service manages the area.From the Wikipedia article “Siskiyou Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Siskiyou Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (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) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 57° ENE | 8:54 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 122° ESE | 4:48 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Siskiyou Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 7.5+ 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
- 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.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Siskiyou Wilderness, closest first.
National Forest
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
National Forest
State Park
State Park
Beach
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bear Basin Lookout And Cabin13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Dillon Creek Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Grassy Flat Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Patrick Creek Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Panther Flat Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Siskiyou Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Siskiyou Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Siskiyou Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Siskiyou Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Siskiyou Wilderness?
How far is Siskiyou 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.