Located in Shasta County, California, Thousand Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Burney, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Thousand Lakes Wilderness lies SSE of town).
The Thousand Lakes Wilderness is located within the southern portion of the Cascade Range in northeastern California. The 16,335-acre (66 km2) wilderness was established in 1964 with the passage of the Wilderness Act and is administered by Lassen National Forest. The area lies within Shasta County, midway between the town of Burney and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Volcanic activity and glaciers have combined to create the current topography. The area is dominated by Crater Peak (8677 ft), the highest point in the Lassen National Forest. The lowest point in the wilderness, 5546 feet, occurs at the base of the volcano. This peak is a reminder of the glacial action that eroded the original, much larger Thousand Lakes Volcano and created the many small lakes and ponds scattered through the region. Some of the volcanic activity is relatively recent—Hall Butte is a cinder cone that...From the Wikipedia article “Thousand Lakes Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thousand Lakes Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 121° ESE | 4:43 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Thousand Lakes Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:26 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 59 | 64 | 65 | 74 | 88 | 94 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | -1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 21 | -2 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 7.1 |
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
- 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.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Thousand Lakes Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Lake
Lake
Volcano
Mountain PeakVolcano
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hat Creek12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Lost Creek Group16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Manzanita Lake Camping Cabins (Ca)19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Manzanita Lake Group Campground19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Manzanita Lake19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thousand Lakes Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Thousand Lakes Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thousand Lakes Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thousand Lakes Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thousand Lakes Wilderness?
How far is Thousand Lakes Wilderness from Burney?
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.