Colonel Bob Wilderness — a wilderness area in Grays Harbor County, Washington — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Olympic National Forest. It sits roughly 48 km (30 mi) N of Aberdeen.
Colonel Bob Wilderness is a 11,855-acre (4,798 ha) protected area located in the southwest corner of Olympic National Forest in the state of Washington. It is named after 19th-century orator Robert Green Ingersoll. Lake Quinault lies about 15 miles (24 km) to the west. Elevations in the wilderness vary from 300 feet (91 m) to 4,509 feet (1,374 m) above sea level. The highest elevation is an unnamed peak; the second-highest elevation is Colonel Bob Mountain at 4,492 feet (1,369 m). The wilderness is a temperate rain forest with annual rainfall greater than 150 inches (3,800 mm).From the Wikipedia article “Colonel Bob Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colonel Bob 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 307° (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) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 53° NE | 9:16 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 125° SE | 4:27 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:29 PM | 7:00 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Colonel Bob Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:49 AM – 4:29 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:48 AM – 3:08 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:19 AM – 2:09 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:50 PM – 1:10 AM | 1.3 | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 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
- 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 Colonel Bob Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gatton Creek Campground/Day Use Area10.5 km (6.5 mi)
- Falls Creek Campground10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Willaby Campground10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Coho Campground11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Wynoochee Lake Shore Trailhead - Coho Campground11.2 km (6.9 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colonel Bob Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Colonel Bob Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colonel Bob Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colonel Bob Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colonel Bob Wilderness?
How far is Colonel Bob Wilderness from Aberdeen?
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.