Located in Harney County, Oregon, Steens Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Caldwell, about 201 km (125 mi) away (Steens Mountain Wilderness lies WSW of town).
The Steens Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area surrounding a portion of Steens Mountain of southeastern Oregon in the United States. The reserve falls within the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area (CMPA). Both the reserve and the CMPA are administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The wilderness area encompasses 170,166 acres (68,864 ha) of the CMPA's total 428,156 acres (173,269 ha). 98,859 acres (40,007 ha) of the Wilderness are protected from grazing and free of cattle.From the Wikipedia article “Steens Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Steens 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 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 57° ENE | 8:37 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 122° ESE | 4:25 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:55 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 Steens Mountain Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 4:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:52 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:33 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 59 | 62 | 76 | 82 | 92 | 98 | 104 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 70 | 56 |
| Low °F | -19 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 30 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 16 | 4 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Steens Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Hot Spring
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Hot Spring
LakeHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- South Steens Campground2.1 km (1.3 mi)
- Jackman Park Campground11.9 km (7.4 mi)
- Page Springs Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Steens Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Steens Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Steens Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Steens Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Steens Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Steens Mountain Wilderness from Caldwell?
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.