Badger Creek Wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest. View south from the Divide Trail in the northern portion of the wilderness.
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45.3061° N121.4764° WBortle 3Los Angeles

Badger Creek Wilderness Photography Guide

Wilderness Area in Wasco County, Oregon

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 237°–306°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Apr–Aug
Photo: Axcordion · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Badger Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in Wasco County, Oregon. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) S of Odell.

The Badger Creek Wilderness is a 29,057-acre (11,759 ha) wilderness area located east of Mount Hood in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon, United States. It is one of six designated wilderness areas in the Mount Hood National Forest, the others being Mark O. Hatfield, Salmon-Huckleberry, Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, and Bull of the Woods.From the Wikipedia article “Badger Creek Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Odell
36 km (22 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
July
25% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
3.2 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:42 PM
sunset 6:22 PM

Light at Badger Creek Wilderness

Live
Sunrise
7:29 AM
Sunset
6:13 PM
Golden hour AM
7:11 AM – 8:10 AM
Golden hour PM
5:33 PM – 6:32 PM
Blue hour AM
6:59 AM – 7:11 AM
Blue hour PM
6:32 PM – 6:43 PM
Full darkness
7:52 PM – 5:52 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:47 PM / 1:15 AM
Day length
10h 44m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Badger Creek Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:10 AM89° E7:19 PM271° W45°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:19 AM55° NE8:58 PM306° NW68°15h 40m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:54 AM89° E7:05 PM271° W45°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:43 AM124° ESE4:27 PM237° WSW21°8h 43m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:09 AM7:42 AM8:29 AM4:03 PM4:50 PM5:23 PM9h 07m
February6:38 AM7:08 AM7:50 AM4:52 PM5:34 PM6:04 PM10h 25m
March6:50 AM7:19 AM7:58 AM6:33 PM7:12 PM7:41 PM11h 53m
April5:50 AM6:21 AM7:01 AM7:12 PM7:52 PM8:23 PM13h 31m
May5:02 AM5:37 AM6:20 AM7:47 PM8:30 PM9:04 PM14h 53m
June4:40 AM5:18 AM6:04 AM8:11 PM8:56 PM9:34 PM15h 38m
July4:57 AM5:33 AM6:17 AM8:08 PM8:52 PM9:28 PM15h 19m
August5:36 AM6:08 AM6:49 AM7:34 PM8:15 PM8:47 PM14h 07m
September6:16 AM6:45 AM7:24 AM6:40 PM7:19 PM7:48 PM12h 33m
October6:53 AM7:23 AM8:03 AM5:42 PM6:22 PM6:52 PM11h 00m
November6:33 AM7:05 AM7:50 AM3:53 PM4:38 PM5:10 PM9h 32m
December7:05 AM7:39 AM8:28 AM3:35 PM4:25 PM4:59 PM8h 45m

Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Badger Creek Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
March5:11 AM – 5:31 AM0.312°SSE → SSE
April3:10 AM – 4:30 AM1.315°SSE → S
May1:09 AM – 3:19 AM2.216°SSE → S
June11:31 PM – 2:41 AM3.216°SSE → SSW
July11:14 PM – 1:24 AM2.216°S → SSW
August10:10 PM – 11:20 PM1.215°SSW → SSW
September9:00 PM – 9:20 PM0.312°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
DecemberBelow 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 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 25% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

Average cloud cover (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F616074809093999696836457
Low °F-27102429374242321810
Precip. (in)5.33.94.33.02.31.60.40.61.33.25.36.3

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

  • 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.
  • Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
  • Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.

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 Badger Creek Wilderness, closest first.

Waterfall
Sahale Falls13 km away · Hood River County · 1,401 m
Tamanawas FallsWaterfall
Tamanawas Falls14 km away · Hood River County · 1,053 m
Waterfall
Switchback Falls14 km away · Hood River County · 1,365 m
Waterfall
Umbrella Falls15 km away · Hood River County · 1,604 m
Mountain Pass
Barlow Pass17 km away · Hood River County · 1,267 m
Ghost Town
Friend17 km away · Wasco County
Lower White River WildernessWilderness Area
Lower White River Wilderness18 km away · Wasco County
Waterfall
Wallalute Falls18 km away · Hood River County · 1,487 m
White River GlacierGlacier
White River Glacier18 km away · Hood River County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Badger Creek Wilderness?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
What time is golden hour at Badger Creek Wilderness?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:42 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:22 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:03 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Badger Creek Wilderness?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 55° in June to 124° in December; sunset ranges from 306° to 237°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Badger Creek Wilderness?
Yes — the core is visible from April to August on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Badger Creek Wilderness?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Badger Creek Wilderness from Odell?
About 36 km (22 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.