Located in Linn County, Oregon, Mount Jefferson Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Warm Springs, about 43 km (27 mi) away (Mount Jefferson Wilderness lies WSW of town).
The Mount Jefferson Wilderness is a wilderness area located on and around Mount Jefferson in the central Cascade Range of Oregon in the United States. The wilderness lies within the Willamette National Forest and Deschutes National Forest. The wilderness area covers 111,177 acres (449.92 km2), with more than 150 lakes. It also has 190 miles (310 km) of trails, including 40 miles (64 km) of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. Three Fingered Jack and Mount Jefferson are both prominent features of the wilderness area. Mount Jefferson Wilderness is the second most visited Oregon wilderness area after the Three Sisters Wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Jefferson Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Jefferson 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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 123° ESE | 4:30 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:41 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Mount Jefferson 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 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:09 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:26 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 9:30 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: 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 ≈ 21.71 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 January 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- 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 Mount Jefferson Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
LakeWaterfall
Rock Formation
Hot SpringWaterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Riverside At Detroit (Willamette National Forest, Or)12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Sheep Springs Horse Camp14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Olallie Lake Guard Station Cabin15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Whispering Falls Campground16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Candle Creek Campground17.3 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Jefferson Wilderness?
How far is Mount Jefferson Wilderness from Warm Springs?
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.