Located in Custer County, Idaho, Sawtooth Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Boise National Forest. The nearest town is Hailey, about 80 km (50 mi) away (Sawtooth Wilderness lies NW of town).
The Sawtooth Wilderness is a federally-protected wilderness area that covers 217,088 acres (87,852 ha) of the state of Idaho. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it was designated the Sawtooth Primitive Area in 1937 to preserve the scenic beauty of the Sawtooth Mountains. On August 22, 1972 Public Law 92-400 designated the Primitive Area as the Sawtooth Wilderness and part of the newly created Sawtooth National Recreation Area. As part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, the Sawtooth Wilderness is an area where human development and use are restricted and people are to remain only visitors. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Sawtooth Wilderness has some of the clearest air in the lower 48 states.From the Wikipedia article “Sawtooth Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sawtooth Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 56° NE | 9:27 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:13 AM | 123° ESE | 5:06 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 8:58 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:35 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Sawtooth Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:33 AM – 6:13 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:34 AM – 4:04 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:50 PM – 3:30 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 2:06 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:31 PM – 10:01 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 49 | 54 | 69 | 81 | 91 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 89 | 67 | 51 |
| Low °F | -12 | -4 | 1 | 11 | 22 | 30 | 40 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -9 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.6 |
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
- 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 Sawtooth Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pettit Lake Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Sawtooth National Forest - Grandjean Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi)
- Graham Cabin17.4 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Grandjean Campground17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Alturas Lake Inlet18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sawtooth Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Sawtooth Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sawtooth Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sawtooth Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sawtooth Wilderness?
How far is Sawtooth Wilderness from Hailey?
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.