Bull of the Woods Wilderness — a wilderness area in Marion County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) ENE of Mill City.
The Bull of the Woods Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Mount Hood National Forest in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon, United States. It was created in 1984 and consists of 37,607 acres (15,219 ha) including prime low-elevation old-growth forest, about a dozen lakes of at least 1-acre (4,000 m2) and many large creeks and streams. Adjacent areas, including Opal Creek Wilderness to the west, create a pristine area of nearly 84 square miles (218 km2). There are seven trails that access the wilderness area with an additional seven trails within the protection boundaries themselves. Combined the system provides 75 miles (121 km) of challenging terrain for both pedestrian and equestrian recreation. The name of the peak and thus the wilderness area comes from logging jargon in which the "bull of the woods" was the most experienced logging foreman in an operation.From the Wikipedia article “Bull of the Woods Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bull of the Woods 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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 8:59 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:51 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:29 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Bull of the Woods Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 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.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:08 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:27 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:11 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.53 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
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 Bull of the Woods Wilderness, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Hot Spring
WaterfallWaterfall
Natural Arch
Hot SpringNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Elk Lake Campground5.4 km (3.4 mi)
- Elk Lake (Or)5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Gold Butte Lookout7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Fox Creek Group Camp11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Humbug Campground11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bull of the Woods Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Bull of the Woods Wilderness?
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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.