Wild Sky Wilderness is a wilderness area in Snohomish County, Washington. It is part of Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest. It sits roughly 22 km (13 mi) E of Gold Bar.
The Wild Sky Wilderness is a 106,577-acre (431 km2) wilderness area in the western Cascade Range of Washington state. The wilderness is within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest north of the U.S. Highway 2 towns of Index and Skykomish. The wilderness flanks, but does not include, the North Fork Skykomish River and the Beckler River. The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness is adjacent to the east and northeast. The highest point in Wild Sky Wilderness is 6,244 foot Gunn Peak. Until 2014 with the expansion of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness by President Obama, the Wild Sky Wilderness was significant because it was the first new federally designated wilderness in Washington since 1984. Also, unlike many other wilderness areas in the Cascades, Wild Sky protects significant amounts of high productivity low-elevation forest.From the Wikipedia article “Wild Sky Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wild Sky 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 308° (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) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:09 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 125° SE | 4:16 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 8:41 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:48 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Wild Sky Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:16 AM – 1:56 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:45 PM – 12:55 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 10:55 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 4.5+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 53 | 49 | 59 | 71 | 78 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 89 | 72 | 57 | 46 |
| Low °F | -16 | -11 | -4 | 6 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 5 | -10 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.9 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 9.6 |
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 Wild Sky Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Waterfall
Lake
Waterfall
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Troublesome Creek Campground5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Heybrook Lookout10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Evergreen Mountain Lookout10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Money Creek Campground13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Beckler River Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wild Sky Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Wild Sky Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wild Sky Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wild Sky Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wild Sky Wilderness?
How far is Wild Sky Wilderness from Gold Bar?
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.