Trinity Alps Wilderness is a wilderness area in Siskiyou County, California. The nearest town is Weaverville, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Trinity Alps Wilderness lies NNW of town).
The Trinity Alps Wilderness is an 537,357 acres (2,174.61 km2) designated wilderness located in northern California, roughly between Eureka and Redding. It is wholly administered by the U.S. Forest Service through the Shasta-Trinity, Klamath, and Six Rivers National Forests. The wilderness is located in the Salmon and Scott Mountains, subranges of the Klamath Mountains region. The high, granitic and ultramafic peaks of the eastern half of the wilderness area are known as the Trinity Alps. Granite peaks at the core of the area are known as the White Trinities, reddish ultramafic peaks in the southeast are known as the Red Trinities, and the forested mountains in the western half of the wilderness are known as the Green Trinities.From the Wikipedia article “Trinity Alps Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trinity Alps 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 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 57° ENE | 8:49 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 121° ESE | 4:48 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Trinity Alps 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 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 | 5:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:41 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:04 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 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 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
- 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.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Trinity Alps Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Ghost Town
National Forest
State Park
Lake
Wilderness AreaWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Flat Campground13.9 km (8.7 mi)
- Mary Smith Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Bridge Camp (Ca)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Hidden Horse Equestrian Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Stoney Group Shasta-Trinity27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trinity Alps Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Trinity Alps Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trinity Alps Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trinity Alps Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trinity Alps Wilderness?
How far is Trinity Alps Wilderness from Weaverville?
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.