Black Canyon Wilderness — a wilderness area in Grant County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 56 km (35 mi) W of John Day.
The Black Canyon Wilderness of Oregon is a wilderness area in the Ochoco National Forest. It is within the drainage basin of the South Fork John Day River. It lies in Grant and Wheeler counties in Oregon. The nearest city is Paulina, in Crook County. It was established in 1984 and encompasses 13,400 acres (5,423 ha).From the Wikipedia article “Black Canyon Wilderness (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Canyon Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 55° NE | 8:47 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 123° ESE | 4:23 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:39 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Black Canyon Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:19 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:55 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 2:42 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 11:28 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 9:20 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 58 | 60 | 74 | 82 | 92 | 99 | 103 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 69 | 57 |
| Low °F | -10 | -2 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 30 | 40 | 37 | 28 | 13 | 1 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- 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 Black Canyon Wilderness, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Ghost TownWaterfall
National Forest
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sugar Creek Campground And Day Use Area16.5 km (10.3 mi)
- Wolf Creek Industrial Campground16.7 km (10.4 mi)
- Big Spring Campground27 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Canyon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Black Canyon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Canyon Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Canyon Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Canyon Wilderness?
How far is Black Canyon Wilderness from John Day?
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.