Copper Salmon Wilderness — a wilderness area in Curry County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) E of Port Orford.
The Copper Salmon Wilderness is a protected wilderness area in the Southern Oregon Coast Range and is part of the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. The wilderness area was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. The Copper Salmon Wilderness is located along the North and South Forks of Elk River and the upper Middle Fork of Sixes River. The area contains one of the nation's largest remaining stands of low-elevation old-growth forest and one of the healthiest salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout runs in the continental United States along the north Fork of the Elk River, as well as stands of vulnerable Port Orford cedar and endangered marbled murrelets and northern spotted owls.From the Wikipedia article “Copper Salmon Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Copper Salmon Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 56° ENE | 8:59 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 122° ESE | 4:47 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Copper Salmon Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:53 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:52 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:59 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 65 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 80 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | 26 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 49 | 44 | 39 | 33 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 12.2 |
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
- 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 Copper Salmon Wilderness, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
National ForestWaterfall
Wilderness Area
State ParkWaterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bald Knob Lookout12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Foster Bar Campground14.0 km (8.7 mi)
- Sixes River Campground Or14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Lake Of The Woods Lookout15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Rogue River Dispersed Campsites17.8 km (11.1 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Copper Salmon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Copper Salmon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Copper Salmon Wilderness?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Copper Salmon Wilderness?
How far is Copper Salmon Wilderness from Port Orford?
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.