Located in Chippewa County, Michigan, Delirium Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Hiawatha National Forest. The nearest town is Sault Ste. Marie, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Delirium Wilderness lies SW of town).
Delirium Wilderness is a 11,870-acre (48.0 km2) wilderness area in Chippewa County, within the Hiawatha National Forest in the U.S. state of Michigan. The wilderness is forested and flat-to-rolling, with its lower reaches often characterized as a swamp. Elevations range from 590 to 890 feet (180 to 270 m). Sculpted by glaciers and an ancient glacial lake, it now contains the 80-acre (32 ha) Sylvester Pond and the 6-acre (2 ha) Delirium Pond, as well as parts of the headwaters of the Pine and Waiska Rivers.From the Wikipedia article “Delirium Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Delirium Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 54° NE | 9:35 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 124° SE | 4:56 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 36m |
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 | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:12 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:24 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 38m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Delirium Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:50 AM – 3:40 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:18 AM – 2:58 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:58 PM – 1:48 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:49 PM – 11:39 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:36 PM – 9:46 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 66% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (82%). August 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 | 39 | 38 | 70 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 89 | 87 | 82 | 76 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -25 | -25 | -15 | 3 | 25 | 34 | 40 | 44 | 35 | 22 | -1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
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 Delirium Wilderness, closest first.
National Forest
State Park
Sand DunesSand DunesSand Dunes
LighthouseSand Dunes
Wilderness AreaSand DunesCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Soldier Lake14.1 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Bay View (Hiawatha National Forest, Mi)18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Monocle Lake19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Three Lakes22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Carp River Campground30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Delirium Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Delirium Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Delirium Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Delirium Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Delirium Wilderness?
How far is Delirium Wilderness from Sault Ste. Marie?
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.