Table Rock Wilderness — a wilderness area in Marion County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) NNE of Mill City.
The Table Rock Wilderness is a small pocket wilderness designated in 1984 in the western Cascade Mountains in northwestern Oregon, United States. The wilderness area protects 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) of forest in the historic Molalla River–Pudding River drainage basin, some 19 miles (31 km) southeast of Molalla, Oregon and 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Portland. Somewhat unusual for a wilderness in this area is that it is on BLM land rather the nearby Mount Hood National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Table Rock Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Table Rock Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 55° NE | 9:00 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Table Rock Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:12 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:31 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:14 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:22 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.29 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 (78%). 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 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
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.
- 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 Table Rock Wilderness, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Hot Spring
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Aquila Vista Recreation Site12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Shady Cove13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Cedar Grove Campground13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Three Bears Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Kingfisher19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Table Rock Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Table Rock Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Table Rock Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Table Rock Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Table Rock Wilderness?
How far is Table Rock Wilderness from Mill City?
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.