Boulder Creek Wilderness — a wilderness area in Douglas County, Oregon — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Oakridge, about 44 km (28 mi) away (Boulder Creek Wilderness lies S of town).
The Boulder Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Umpqua National Forest in the southern Cascade Range of Oregon, United States. It was designated by the United States Congress in 1984 and comprises 19,100 acres (7,729 ha). There is more than 30 miles (48 km) of hiking trails in the Wilderness, including the 10.6-mile (17.1 km) Boulder Creek Trail and the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) Jessie Wright segment of the North Umpqua Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Boulder Creek Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boulder Creek Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 56° NE | 8:55 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 122° ESE | 4:38 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Boulder Creek Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:39 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 December as the cloudiest (75%). August 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 | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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 Boulder Creek Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Hot Spring
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Boulder Flat Campground5.2 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Rock Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Deer Flat Group Site (Horseshoe Bend Campground)11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Bend Campground (Or)11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Toketee Group Site12.3 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boulder Creek Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Boulder Creek Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boulder Creek Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boulder Creek Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boulder Creek Wilderness?
How far is Boulder Creek Wilderness from Oakridge?
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.