Not only are great images there to be made, you ll see wildlife and a world that is very different from any other time a day. However, you will have to get out of bed very early. The Farmer s Almanac, your daily newspaper or local TV news will let what time the sun rises, but knowing when the sun will actually arrive and shine on your location depends on elevation and the hills that may be in the way. The sun s light is filtered through dust, moisture, smoke, hydrocarbons released by forests and grasslands as they are warmed by the sun on the horizon. My favorite Central Oregon sunrise is at Smith Rock, and the longest sunrise I have ever seen.
Most sunrises take twenty to thirty minutes but Smith Rock sunrises takes nearly two full hours.
The geology and shape of the rock formations on the cliffs provide a lot of canvass for the sun s light to paint at dawn. Early morning treks to photograph a sunrise are great from the upper rim of the park, but the Crooked River at the bottom of the canyon is where to find blue heron and some very nervous turtles. At sunrise the light from the sun appears over the hills to the east bring Smith Rock s shear walls and rock formations come to life. The western cliffs get the first stroke of summer s yellow morning light. The valley is second, followed by the eastern walls and the sun makes its presence felt one rock at a time.