Pasayten Wilderness — a wilderness area in Whatcom County, Washington — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Okanogan National Forest. The nearest town is Sedro-Woolley, about 121 km (75 mi) away (Pasayten Wilderness lies ENE of town).
The Pasayten Wilderness is a 531,539 acres (215,106 ha) protected area located within Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest and Mount Baker National Forest in Washington state, centered on the Three Forks (48°54′02″N 120°38′01″W) of the Pasayten River, a tributary of the Similkameen River. Although part of the wilderness lies in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, the largest section falls within the boundaries of Okanogan National Forest, which has responsibility for the wilderness's management. The wilderness is bordered by the Stephen Mather Wilderness to the west. The northern boundary of the wilderness is the Canada–US border. Across the border are Manning Provincial Park and Cathedral Provincial Park. The wilderness area is adjacent to the Ross Lake National Recreation Area to the west, and North Cascades National Park beyond that. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail has...From the Wikipedia article “Pasayten Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pasayten 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 309° (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) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:00 AM | 52° NE | 9:11 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 126° SE | 4:09 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 15m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 43m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 16m |
| June | 4:17 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:49 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:51 PM | 16h 09m |
| July | 4:36 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 46m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:12 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:44 PM | 8h 17m |
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 Pasayten 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 3:53 AM – 4:03 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:50 AM – 2:40 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:51 PM – 2:31 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:59 PM – 12:39 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:29 PM – 10:29 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 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 | 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
- 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 Pasayten Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakGlacier
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pasayten Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Pasayten Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pasayten Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pasayten Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pasayten Wilderness?
How far is Pasayten Wilderness from Sedro-Woolley?
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.