Located in Chelan County, Washington, Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Okanogan National Forest. It sits roughly 53 km (33 mi) NNW of Granite Falls.
The Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness is a 153,057-acre (61,940 ha) protected wilderness area located within the Okanogan and Wenatchee national forests in Washington State. The wilderness borders Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park and the Stephen Mather Wilderness to the northwest. It was designated with the passage of the Washington Wilderness Act of 1984, on lands occupied by the old Chelan Division of the Washington Forest Reserve, now part of both the Okanogan and Wenatchee national forests.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Chelan-Sawtooth 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) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 52° NE | 9:07 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 126° SE | 4:10 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 19m |
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 | 7:49 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 46m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 13m |
| June | 4:19 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:50 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:47 PM | 16h 04m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:12 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 42m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 8h 21m |
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 Lake Chelan-Sawtooth 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 3:39 AM – 4:09 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:43 AM – 2:43 AM | 1.0 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:28 AM – 1:28 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 11:49 PM – 12:39 AM | 0.8 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 10:44 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: 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 ≈ 21.79 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 | 45 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 85 | 76 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -15 | -1 | 15 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 22 | 2 | -20 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
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 Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
LakeWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Rock FormationWaterfall
Mountain PeakMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lucerne Campground16.9 km (10.5 mi)
- Harlequin Campground17.3 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Graham Harbor Creek Campground28 km (17 mi)
- Graham Harbor Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness?
How far is Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness from Granite Falls?
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.