Located in Marquette County, Michigan, McCormick Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Ottawa National Forest. The nearest town is West Ishpeming, about 32 km (20 mi) away (McCormick Wilderness lies NW of town).
The McCormick Wilderness is a United States Wilderness Area located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It covers an area of about 17,000 acres (69 km2) and is located 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the Baraga-Marquette county line. It is one of three such areas in the Ottawa National Forest, the others being the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness and the Sylvania Wilderness. The McCormick Wilderness contains sections of the headwaters of the Huron, Dead, Peshekee, and Yellow Dog Rivers. Although the area was logged until the early twentieth century, conifers and northern hardwoods have now been developed. Moose have been reintroduced into the area. The McCormick family of Chicago were the original owners, having acquired the tract in small pieces between 1904 and 1920. It was willed to the federal government in 1967.From the Wikipedia article “McCormick Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McCormick Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (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) | 7:56 AM | 90° E | 8:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 54° NE | 9:50 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:34 AM | 125° SE | 5:07 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 7:59 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:22 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:05 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:40 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:46 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:46 AM | 9:01 PM | 9:48 PM | 10:27 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:43 PM | 10:21 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:51 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:55 AM | 8:31 AM | 9:22 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 8h 35m |
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 McCormick Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | 6:09 AM – 6:19 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:12 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:18 AM – 3:58 AM | 1.7 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:40 AM – 3:00 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:17 AM – 1:57 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:05 PM – 11:55 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:50 PM – 9:50 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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 ≈ 21.9 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 July as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 41 | 49 | 75 | 78 | 89 | 89 | 96 | 95 | 90 | 80 | 69 | 56 |
| Low °F | -19 | -25 | -20 | 6 | 22 | 30 | 42 | 41 | 29 | 15 | 0 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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.
- 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 McCormick Wilderness, closest first.
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Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph McCormick Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at McCormick Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at McCormick Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from McCormick Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McCormick Wilderness?
How far is McCormick Wilderness from West Ishpeming?
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.