Snow Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in Colusa County, California. It is part of Mendocino National Forest. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) NNE of Upper Lake.
The Snow Mountain Wilderness is a 60,076-acre (243.12 km2) federally designated wilderness area located 65 miles (105 km) north of Santa Rosa, California, USA in the Mendocino National Forest. The U.S. Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984 which created 23 new wilderness areas including Snow Mountain. It lies within the North Coast Range of mountains. Elevations are from 1,800 to 7,056 feet (500 to 2,200 m). The wilderness covers the crest of this North Coast Range mountain divide for 13 miles (21 km) and the summit area includes two peaks, East (7,050 ft) and West (7,021 ft). On October 17, 2006, the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act was signed into law (Public Law No: 109-362) which added 23,706 acres (95.93 km2) to the Snow Mountain Wilderness. In July 2015, the area became part of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument.From the Wikipedia article “Snow Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Snow Mountain Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 120° ESE | 4:51 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Snow Mountain Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 79 | 90 | 103 | 111 | 116 | 113 | 110 | 102 | 88 | 72 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 42 | 35 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.8 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 6.6 |
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.
- 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 Snow Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Hot Spring
National Forest
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Fork - Mendocino National Forest7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground7.6 km (4.7 mi)
- Davis Flat8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- South Fork Campground - Mendocino National Forest8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Fouts8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Snow Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Snow Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Snow Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Snow Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Snow Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Snow Mountain Wilderness from Upper Lake?
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.