Located in Sublette County, Wyoming, Popo Agie Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Fort Washakie, about 38 km (24 mi) away (Popo Agie Wilderness lies SW of town).
Popo Agie Wilderness ( poh-POH-zhə) is located within Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, United States. The wilderness consists of 101,870 acres (41,230 ha; 159.17 sq mi) on the east side of the continental divide in the Wind River Range. Originally set aside as a primitive area in 1932, in 1984 the Wyoming Wilderness Act was passed securing a more permanent protection status for the wilderness. The wilderness is a part of the 20,000,000 acres (8,100,000 ha; 31,000 sq mi) 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. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.From the Wikipedia article “Popo Agie Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Popo Agie Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 56° ENE | 8:59 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 122° ESE | 4:47 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Popo Agie Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:53 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 1:52 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:59 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 15° | 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 40% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 50 | 62 | 72 | 84 | 89 | 94 | 91 | 87 | 74 | 60 | 45 |
| Low °F | -24 | -30 | -9 | 2 | 15 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 19 | -3 | -18 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
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.
- 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 Popo Agie Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Sandy Campground9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Dutch Joe Campground18.4 km (11.5 mi)
- Blucher Creek Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Worthen Meadow Campground25 km (15 mi)
- Sweetwater Guard Station Campground26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Popo Agie Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Popo Agie Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Popo Agie Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Popo Agie Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Popo Agie Wilderness?
How far is Popo Agie Wilderness from Fort Washakie?
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.