Located in Modoc County, California, South Warner Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Alturas, about 36 km (22 mi) away (South Warner Wilderness lies ESE of town).
The South Warner Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area 12 miles (19 km) east of Alturas, California, United States. It encompasses more than 70,000 acres (283 km2) of the Warner Mountains. It is within the Modoc National Forest and managed by the US Forest Service. Elevations range from 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to 9,895 feet at Eagle Peak. The highest parts of the Warner Mountains were set aside in 1931 as a primitive area. In 1964, the Wilderness Act created the South Warner Wilderness. In 1984, 1,940 acres (7.9 km2) were added to the wilderness with the passage of the California Wilderness Act.From the Wikipedia article “South Warner Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At South Warner 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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 57° ENE | 8:38 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:35 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 13m |
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 South Warner 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 | 5:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:47 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:55 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:46 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 7:53 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 ≈ 21.93 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 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 61 | 64 | 74 | 80 | 90 | 98 | 102 | 99 | 98 | 88 | 74 | 59 |
| Low °F | -10 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 29 | 39 | 38 | 28 | 19 | 4 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- 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 South Warner Wilderness, closest first.
Natural Arch
Waterfall
Volcano
Hot Spring
National Wildlife RefugeHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Patterson Guard Station13.3 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Blue Lake Campground Group Site - Modoc Nf (Ca)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Divine Springs Campground26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph South Warner Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at South Warner Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at South Warner Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from South Warner Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at South Warner Wilderness?
How far is South Warner Wilderness from Alturas?
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.