Hells Canyon Wilderness is a wilderness area in Idaho County, Idaho. It is part of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. The nearest town is Grangeville, about 51 km (32 mi) away (Hells Canyon Wilderness lies SW of town).
The Hells Canyon Wilderness is a wilderness area in the western United States, in Idaho and Oregon. Created 51 years ago in 1975, the Wilderness is managed by both the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service and contains some of the most spectacular sections of the Snake River as it winds its way through Hells Canyon, North America's deepest river gorge and one of the deepest gorges on Earth. The Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984 added additional acreage and currently the area protects a total area of 217,927 acres (88,192 ha). It lies entirely within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area except for a small 946-acre (383 ha) plot in southeastern Wallowa County, Oregon which is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The area that is administered by the Forest Service consists of portions of (in descending order of acreage) the Wallowa, Nez Perce, Payette,...From the Wikipedia article “Hells Canyon Wilderness (Oregon and Idaho)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hells Canyon Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:50 AM | 89° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 55° NE | 9:39 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:34 AM | 89° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:24 AM | 124° SE | 5:06 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 42m |
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 | 7:50 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:10 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:02 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:31 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:45 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:37 PM | 10:15 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:09 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:10 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 43m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Hells Canyon Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:51 AM – 6:11 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:51 AM – 5:01 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:51 AM – 4:01 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:14 AM – 3:14 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:57 PM – 1:57 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:52 PM – 12:02 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 29% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 43 | 51 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 94 | 100 | 95 | 91 | 85 | 63 | 47 |
| Low °F | -17 | -11 | -2 | 7 | 20 | 29 | 38 | 35 | 27 | 6 | -4 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
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 Hells Canyon Wilderness, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire LookoutScenic Viewpoint
CanyonScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hells Canyon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Hells Canyon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hells Canyon Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hells Canyon Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hells Canyon Wilderness?
How far is Hells Canyon Wilderness from Grangeville?
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.