Bridger Wilderness — a wilderness area in Sublette County, Wyoming — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 37 km (23 mi) NNE of Pinedale.
The Bridger Wilderness is located in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, United States. Originally established in 1931 as a primitive area, 428,169-acre (1,732.74 km2) region was redesignated as a wilderness in 1964 and expanded to the current size in 1984. It is named after the explorer Jim Bridger who was one of the first non-indigenous people to describe the area. The wilderness lies on the west side of the Continental Divide in the Wind River Range and contains Gannett Peak; at 13,809 feet (4,209 m) it is the tallest mountain in Wyoming. The wilderness is a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act....From the Wikipedia article “Bridger Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridger Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 56° NE | 9:03 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 122° ESE | 4:47 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Bridger Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:05 AM – 4:45 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:08 AM – 3:48 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 3:11 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 1:59 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:53 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:48 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 41 | 40 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 91 | 88 | 83 | 72 | 60 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -31 | -18 | -8 | 7 | 22 | 31 | 29 | 14 | -5 | -24 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 Bridger Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakGlacierGlacier
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trails End Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Green River Lake Lodge22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Green River Lakes - Bridger-Teton Nf (Wy)22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Narrows Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- New Fork Lake Group Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridger Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Bridger Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bridger Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bridger Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bridger Wilderness?
How far is Bridger Wilderness from Pinedale?
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.