Located in Mason County, Washington, Mount Skokomish Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Olympic National Forest. It sits roughly 33 km (21 mi) WSW of Seabeck.
Mount Skokomish Wilderness is a designated wilderness area in the southeast portion of Olympic National Forest on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington in the United States. The wilderness area comprises 13,291 acres (5,379 ha) administered by the U.S. Forest Service.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Skokomish Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Skokomish 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) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 53° NE | 9:15 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 125° SE | 4:25 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 19m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Mount Skokomish 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 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 | — | 10° | — |
| April | 3:47 AM – 4:27 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:46 AM – 3:06 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:17 AM – 2:07 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:48 PM – 1:08 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 11:00 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 ≈ 21.23 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
- 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 Mount Skokomish Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
GlacierMountain PeakWilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Staircase Campground7.3 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Hamma Hamma Campground10.7 km (6.7 mi)
- Hamma Hamma Cabin11.0 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Brown Creek Campground16.4 km (10.2 mi)
- Collins Campground22 km (14 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Skokomish Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Mount Skokomish Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Skokomish Wilderness?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Skokomish Wilderness?
How far is Mount Skokomish Wilderness from Seabeck?
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.