Boulder River Wilderness is a wilderness area in Snohomish County, Washington. It is part of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. It sits roughly 15.7 km (9.8 mi) WSW of Darrington.
Boulder River Wilderness is a 48,674-acre (197 km2) wilderness area within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the western Cascade Range of Washington state.From the Wikipedia article “Boulder River Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boulder River Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 52° NE | 9:12 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 126° SE | 4:16 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 20m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 47m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 12m |
| June | 4:25 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:52 PM | 16h 03m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 41m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 22m |
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 Boulder River Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:48 AM – 2:48 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:33 AM – 1:33 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:54 PM – 12:44 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:29 PM – 10:49 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.1 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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.
- 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 Boulder River Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutWaterfallWaterfall
LakeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Turlo Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Tulalip Mill Site Group Campground14.9 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Verlot Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Gold Basin Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Clear Creek Campground17.3 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boulder River Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Boulder River Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boulder River Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boulder River Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boulder River Wilderness?
How far is Boulder River Wilderness from Darrington?
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.