Wild Rogue Wilderness is a wilderness area in Curry County, Oregon. The nearest town is Gold Beach, about 38 km (24 mi) away (Wild Rogue Wilderness lies NE of town).
The Wild Rogue Wilderness is a wilderness area surrounding the 84-mile (135 km) Wild and Scenic portion of the Rogue River in southwestern Oregon, U.S. to protect the watershed. The wilderness was established in 1978 and now comprises 35,818 acres (14,495 ha). Because it spans part of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and the Medford district of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Wild Rogue Wilderness is administered by both the BLM and the Forest Service.From the Wikipedia article “Wild Rogue Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wild Rogue 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 57° ENE | 8:58 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 122° ESE | 4:46 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 | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 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 Wild Rogue 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 | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:50 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 3:21 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:57 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:53 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 ≈ 21.89 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 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 65 | 66 | 69 | 74 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 80 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | 26 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 38 | 44 | 48 | 49 | 44 | 39 | 33 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.0 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 12.2 |
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
- 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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Wild Rogue Wilderness, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
National ForestWaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Foster Bar Campground3.6 km (2.2 mi)
- Lake Of The Woods Lookout7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Rogue River Dispersed Campsites9.7 km (6.0 mi)
- Bald Knob Lookout10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wild Rogue Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Wild Rogue Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wild Rogue Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wild Rogue Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wild Rogue Wilderness?
How far is Wild Rogue Wilderness from Gold Beach?
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.