![Point 6271' from Washington Route 410 east of Chinook Pass looking south; en:William O. Douglas Wilderness. [1]](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/William_O._Douglas_Wilderness.jpg/960px-William_O._Douglas_Wilderness.jpg)
Located in Yakima County, Washington, William O. Douglas Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The nearest town is Tieton, about 44 km (27 mi) away (William O. Douglas Wilderness lies WNW of town).
The William O. Douglas Wilderness is a designated wilderness in Central Washington. It includes 169,081 acres (68,425 ha) located between the U.S. Route 12 and State Route 410 and is jointly administered by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It shares a boundary with the Mount Rainier National Park on the west; Norse Peak Wilderness lies to the north, Goat Rocks Wilderness to the south. Approximately 25 miles (40 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail travel along the Cascade Range crest within its boundaries. It contains scattered peaks, sharp ridges, steep slopes and hundreds of small lakes and potholes. Much of the wilderness is drained by tributaries of the Naches River.From the Wikipedia article “William O. Douglas Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At William O. Douglas Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 54° NE | 9:04 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 125° SE | 4:20 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 34m |
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 William O. Douglas Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:25 AM – 4:15 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:31 AM – 3:01 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:53 PM – 2:13 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:30 PM – 1:10 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 11:08 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.53 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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
- 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 William O. Douglas Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
Scenic ViewpointWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Lake
Natural ArchWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bumping Lake Campground5.6 km (3.5 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole Campground (Washington)13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Flat13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Pleasant Valley Campground15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Soda Springs Campground (Bumping River, Wa)15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph William O. Douglas Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at William O. Douglas Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at William O. Douglas Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from William O. Douglas Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at William O. Douglas Wilderness?
How far is William O. Douglas Wilderness from Tieton?
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.