Located in Klamath County, Oregon, Diamond Peak Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Deschutes National Forest. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) SE of Oakridge.
The Diamond Peak Wilderness in the U.S. state of Oregon is a wilderness area straddling the Cascade crest and includes the Diamond Peak volcano. It is located within two National Forests - the Willamette National Forest on the west and the Deschutes National Forest on the east.From the Wikipedia article “Diamond Peak Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Diamond Peak Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 56° NE | 8:54 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 123° ESE | 4:36 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Diamond Peak 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:04 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.7 | 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 | — | 8° | — |
| 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 6.5+ 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 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Diamond Peak Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
WaterfallWaterfall
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Lake
Lake
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indigo Springs9.4 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Whitefish Horse Camp11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Trapper Creek Campground11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Windy Group Camp11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Timpanogas11.8 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Diamond Peak Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Diamond Peak Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Diamond Peak Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Diamond Peak Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Diamond Peak Wilderness?
How far is Diamond Peak 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.