Located in Skamania County, Washington, Trapper Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) NW of Carson.
The Trapper Creek Wilderness is a designated wilderness consisting of 5,969 acres (2,416 ha) in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southern Washington. The wilderness covers nearly the entire Trapper Creek drainage and is the only pristine anadromous fish habitat in the Wind River watershed. The terrain is very steep and rugged and holds many streams and waterfalls—one as tall as 100 ft (30 m). It is one of the few sizeable blocks of low-elevation old-growth forest remaining in southern Washington.From the Wikipedia article “Trapper Creek Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trapper Creek Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 54° NE | 9:03 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 124° SE | 4:27 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:46 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:04 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 8h 41m |
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 Trapper Creek Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 2:34 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:14 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:14 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.32 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 62 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 93 | 100 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 87 | 67 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 15 | 22 | 27 | 33 | 39 | 45 | 44 | 36 | 24 | 15 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 8.6 | 9.7 |
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 Trapper Creek Wilderness, closest first.
Rock Formation
Volcano
Waterfall
Cave
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Govt Mineral Springs Guard Sta3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Campground7.6 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Paradise Creek Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Panther Creek Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Sunset Falls Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trapper Creek Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Trapper Creek Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trapper Creek Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trapper Creek Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trapper Creek Wilderness?
How far is Trapper Creek Wilderness from Carson?
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.