Buckhorn Wilderness is a wilderness area in Jefferson County, Washington. It is part of Olympic National Forest. The nearest town is Sequim, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Buckhorn Wilderness lies S of town).
The Buckhorn Wilderness is a 44,319-acre (17,935 ha) mountainous wilderness area on the northeastern Olympic Peninsula in Washington, USA. Named after Buckhorn Mountain (6,988 ft or 2,130 m), the wilderness abuts the eastern boundary of Olympic National Park which includes nearby Mount Constance (7,756 ft or 2,364 m), Inner Constance (7,667 ft or 2,337 m), Warrior Peak (7,320 ft or 2,230 m), and Mount Deception (7,788 ft or 2,374 m).From the Wikipedia article “Buckhorn Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buckhorn Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 53° NE | 9:16 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 125° SE | 4:23 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Buckhorn Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 | 3:48 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:23 AM – 2:03 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:02 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 11:02 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.19 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 84 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -2 | 12 | 22 | 25 | 28 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 3 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 14.2 | 8.6 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 9.6 | 15.0 | 13.9 |
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
- 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 Buckhorn Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
National Forest
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dungeness Forks Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi)
- Deer Park Campground16.0 km (9.9 mi)
- Falls View Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi)
- Louella Cabin18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Collins Campground18.7 km (11.6 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buckhorn Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Buckhorn Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buckhorn Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buckhorn Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buckhorn Wilderness?
How far is Buckhorn Wilderness from Sequim?
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.