Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness — a wilderness area in Skagit County, Washington — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. The nearest town is Darrington, about 45 km (28 mi) away (Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness lies N of town).
The Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness is a relatively small wilderness area in northwestern Washington state adjacent to North Cascades National Park. Created in 1984, the Noisy-Diobsud contains 14,100 acres (57 km2) of steep valleys, subalpine lakes, and the summits of Anderson Butte and Mount Watson. It is part of Mount Baker National Forest. The only maintained trail enters the west side of the wilderness from the Anderson Lakes road above Baker Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Noisy-Diobsud 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 234° (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) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 52° NE | 9:13 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 126° SE | 4:13 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:54 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 18m |
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 Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:56 AM – 4:06 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:53 AM – 2:43 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:54 PM – 2:34 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:02 AM – 12:42 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 10:32 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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
- 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.
- 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 Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Horseshoe Cove Campground8.0 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Bayview Campground (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Wa)8.1 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Shannon Creek Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Swift Creek Campground10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Panorama Point Campground10.7 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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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.