Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a wilderness area in Deschutes County, Oregon. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) ESE of Bend.
The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a 29,301-acre (11,858 ha) wilderness area located east of Bend in Deschutes and Crook counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System and was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 30 March 2009. The area is known for igneous castle-like rock formations, harsh terrain, ancient Juniper trees, sagebrush, and extensive arid land. Desert wildflowers, dry river canyons, and Native American pictographs can be found. The blind iditarod racer Rachel Scdoris trained in the area, and the wilderness is home to the western terminus of the Oregon Desert Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Oregon Badlands Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Oregon Badlands 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 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 56° NE | 8:51 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 123° ESE | 4:30 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Oregon Badlands Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 2:54 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:32 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 9:25 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 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 6.5+ 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 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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Oregon Badlands Wilderness, closest first.
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
Volcano
Covered Bridge
State Park
Fire Lookout
State Park
Covered Bridge
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Stillwater Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Chimney Rock Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Castle Rock Campground24 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Oregon Badlands Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Oregon Badlands Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Oregon Badlands Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Oregon Badlands Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Oregon Badlands Wilderness?
How far is Oregon Badlands Wilderness from Bend?
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.