Located in Josephine County, Oregon, Red Buttes Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) N of Happy Camp.
The Red Buttes Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Klamath and Rogue River national forests in the U.S. states of Oregon and California. It comprises 19,940 acres (80.7 km2; 31.16 mi2), approximately 16,190 acres (65.5 km2; 25.30 mi2) of which is located in California, and 3,750 acres (15.2 km2; 5.86 mi2) in Oregon. It was established by the California Wilderness Act of 1984 and the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984.From the Wikipedia article “Red Buttes Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Red Buttes Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 57° ENE | 8:53 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 7:40 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Red Buttes Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 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 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 101 | 104 | 106 | 103 | 93 | 79 | 58 |
| Low °F | 7 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Red Buttes Wilderness, closest first.
Cave
Waterfall
National Forest
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallWaterfall
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bolan Mountain Lookout6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Chinquapin Group Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Carberry Group Campground17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Harr Point Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Hart-Tish Park At Applegate Lake22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Red Buttes Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Red Buttes Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Red Buttes Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Red Buttes Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Red Buttes Wilderness?
How far is Red Buttes Wilderness from Happy Camp?
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.