Salmo-Priest Wilderness — a wilderness area in Pend Oreille County, Washington — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 86 km (53 mi) NNW of Sandpoint.
Salmo-Priest Wilderness is a 41,335-acre (16,728 ha) wilderness area located in the Selkirk Mountains in the northeast corner of Washington state, within the Colville National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest. It was established in 1984.From the Wikipedia article “Salmo-Priest Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Salmo-Priest 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) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:45 AM | 52° NE | 8:57 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 126° SE | 3:55 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 14m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 42m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 12m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:29 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 17m |
| June | 4:02 AM | 4:45 AM | 5:35 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:38 PM | 16h 10m |
| July | 4:21 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:50 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 47m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 24m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:17 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:44 PM | 9h 11m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:32 AM | 2:57 PM | 3:53 PM | 4:30 PM | 8h 16m |
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 Salmo-Priest Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| April | 3:40 AM – 3:50 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 2:29 AM | 0.7 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:39 PM – 2:09 AM | 2.5 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:50 PM – 12:20 AM | 0.5 | 11° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 10:17 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). July 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 | 37 | 49 | 63 | 75 | 87 | 98 | 101 | 103 | 94 | 82 | 57 | 41 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -15 | 15 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 39 | 26 | 9 | -23 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- 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 Salmo-Priest Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
CaveWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- East Sullivan11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- West Sullivan11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Noisy Creek17.8 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Edgewater Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
How far is Salmo-Priest Wilderness from Sandpoint?
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.