Soda Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in Jackson County, Oregon. The nearest town is Ashland, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Soda Mountain Wilderness lies SE of town).
The Soda Mountain Wilderness is a protected wilderness area inside the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument located in the U.S. state of Oregon adjacent to the California state border. The wilderness area was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009. The wilderness encompasses many mountains, including Boccard Point.From the Wikipedia article “Soda Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Soda Mountain 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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 57° ENE | 8:50 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 122° ESE | 4:42 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 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 Soda Mountain 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 | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:56 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 ≈ 21.77 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 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
- 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 Soda Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringMountain PassHot Spring
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hyatt Lake Recreation Area14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Tree Of Heaven Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Soda Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Soda Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Soda Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Soda Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Soda Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Soda Mountain Wilderness from Ashland?
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.