Located in Saline County, Illinois, Burden Falls Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Shawnee National Forest. The nearest town is Carrier Mills, about 11.0 km (6.8 mi) away (Burden Falls Wilderness lies S of town).
The Burden Falls Wilderness is a 3,775-acre (15.3 km2) unit of the Shawnee National Forest. It is located in northwestern Pope County and southwestern Saline County, Illinois. The wilderness is characterized by road-less second-growth hardwood forest, punctuated by a small, seasonal waterfall on Burden Creek. Burden Falls falls 20 feet (6 m) over a sandstone ledge, and the falling creek then descends another 80 feet (25 m) in a series of cascades and cataracts. Although this is a small waterfall by the nationwide standards of the United States, Burden Falls is one of the highest waterfalls in Illinois. Unlike most of the state, Pope County and extreme southern Illinois escaped glaciation during the Ice ages, and steep slopes display the effects of lengthy erosion. Similar geological features in other regions of Illinois were ground into oblivion by the ice. Watercourses...From the Wikipedia article “Burden Falls Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Burden Falls Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 59° ENE | 8:20 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 120° ESE | 4:40 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Burden Falls Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 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 September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 71 | 72 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 108 | 109 | 105 | 101 | 94 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | 5 | 23 | 35 | 43 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 26 | 13 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
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
- 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 Burden Falls Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Natural Arch
National ForestWaterfall
Canyon
Wilderness AreaNatural Arch
Fire LookoutWilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Burden Falls Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Burden Falls Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Burden Falls Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Burden Falls Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Burden Falls Wilderness?
How far is Burden Falls Wilderness from Carrier Mills?
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.