Sky Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area in Klamath County, Oregon. The nearest town is Shady Cove, about 48 km (30 mi) away (Sky Lakes Wilderness lies E of town).
The Sky Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Rogue River–Siskiyou and Fremont–Winema national forests in the southern Cascade Range of Oregon in the United States. It comprises 116,300 acres (47,100 ha), of which 75,695 acres (30,633 ha) are in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest and 40,605 acres (16,432 ha) are in the Fremont–Winema National Forest. It was established in 1984 under the Wilderness Act of 1964.From the Wikipedia article “Sky Lakes Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sky Lakes 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 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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 57° ENE | 8:51 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:19 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Sky Lakes Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:52 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:46 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: 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 ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 69 | 80 | 92 | 101 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 37 | 35 | 29 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 6.5 |
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
- 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 Sky Lakes Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Waterfall
National Wildlife RefugeWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakLakeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Imnaha Guard Station12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Guard Station12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Fourmile Lake Campground16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Fourbit Ford Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Whiskey Springs Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sky Lakes Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Sky Lakes Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sky Lakes Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sky Lakes Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sky Lakes Wilderness?
How far is Sky Lakes Wilderness from Shady Cove?
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.