Located in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, Rainbow Lake Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Lake Nebagamon, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Rainbow Lake Wilderness lies ESE of town).
The Rainbow Lake Wilderness is a 7,135-acre (29 km2) wilderness area located within the Chequamegon unit of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The land is in northern Wisconsin and entirely in Bayfield County. The wilderness area is operated by the United States Forest Service. Rainbow Lake Wilderness includes Rainbow Lake, fifteen other lakes and nine small ponds. Many can be accessed by former logging trails and rail grades, including the North Country National Scenic Trail. Rainbow Lake Wilderness is entirely bordered by roads that are maintained by the Forest Service. It is heavily wooded with many species of trees including northern hardwoods, balsam fir, pine, and paper birch. Rainbow Lake Wilderness gives opportunity for visitors to fish, hike, and camp in some of what is considered old-growth forest.From the Wikipedia article “Rainbow Lake Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rainbow Lake 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° (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 | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 54° NE | 9:02 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 124° SE | 4:22 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 00m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 47m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 37m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Rainbow Lake Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:24 AM – 4:24 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:19 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:49 PM – 2:19 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:27 PM – 1:07 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:07 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:02 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 58% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 43 | 51 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 90 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 81 | 67 | 53 |
| Low °F | -27 | -25 | -31 | 8 | 25 | 36 | 44 | 43 | 31 | 15 | -2 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
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 Rainbow Lake Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
National Wildlife RefugeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Perch Lake Recreation Area2.9 km (1.8 mi)
- Bah114.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Bah214.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Two Lakes16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Namekagon30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rainbow Lake Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Rainbow Lake Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rainbow Lake Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rainbow Lake Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rainbow Lake Wilderness?
How far is Rainbow Lake Wilderness from Lake Nebagamon?
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.