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42.3700° N111.5310° WBortle 2Boise

Emigration Canyon, Idaho Photography Guide

Canyon in Bear Lake County, Idaho

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 238°–304°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep

Emigration Canyon, Idaho is a canyon in Bear Lake County, Idaho. The nearest town is Montpelier, about 19.9 km (12.4 mi) away (Emigration Canyon, Idaho lies WNW of town).

Emigration Canyon is a canyon in Bear Lake County in the U.S. state of Idaho, roughly seventeen miles west of Montpelier. Carved by Emigration Creek, it is located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, with Highway 36 running along its floor.From the Wikipedia article “Emigration Canyon, Idaho”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Montpelier
19.9 km (12.4 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
35% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.2 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:07 PM
sunset 6:46 PM

Light at Emigration Canyon, Idaho

Live
Sunrise
7:45 AM
Sunset
6:38 PM
Golden hour AM
7:28 AM – 8:24 AM
Golden hour PM
5:59 PM – 6:55 PM
Blue hour AM
7:17 AM – 7:28 AM
Blue hour PM
6:55 PM – 7:06 PM
Full darkness
8:11 PM – 6:13 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
4:00 PM / 1:41 AM
Day length
10h 52m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Boise. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Emigration Canyon, Idaho the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:30 AM90° E7:39 PM271° W48°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:50 AM57° ENE9:07 PM304° WNW71°15h 17m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:14 AM89° E7:25 PM271° W48°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:53 AM122° ESE4:57 PM238° WSW24°9h 04m

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

Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.

Month (15th)Blue hour startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:22 AM7:53 AM8:37 AM4:35 PM5:19 PM5:50 PM9h 25m
February6:55 AM7:24 AM8:03 AM5:19 PM5:59 PM6:28 PM10h 35m
March7:11 AM7:39 AM8:16 AM6:56 PM7:33 PM8:01 PM11h 54m
April6:17 AM6:46 AM7:23 AM7:30 PM8:08 PM8:37 PM13h 22m
May5:33 AM6:06 AM6:46 AM8:01 PM8:41 PM9:13 PM14h 36m
June5:15 AM5:49 AM6:32 AM8:23 PM9:05 PM9:40 PM15h 16m
July5:30 AM6:03 AM6:45 AM8:21 PM9:02 PM9:36 PM14h 59m
August6:04 AM6:34 AM7:13 AM7:50 PM8:29 PM8:59 PM13h 55m
September6:39 AM7:07 AM7:44 AM7:01 PM7:38 PM8:06 PM12h 31m
October7:11 AM7:40 AM8:18 AM6:07 PM6:46 PM7:14 PM11h 06m
November6:48 AM7:18 AM8:00 AM4:23 PM5:05 PM5:36 PM9h 48m
December7:17 AM7:49 AM8:35 AM4:10 PM4:55 PM5:27 PM9h 06m

Local time (America/Boise), 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 Emigration Canyon, Idaho, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
March5:06 AM – 5:56 AM0.815°SSE → SSE
April2:59 AM – 4:59 AM2.018°SE → S
May1:08 AM – 3:58 AM2.819°SSE → S
June11:18 PM – 3:28 AM4.219°SSE → SSW
July11:08 PM – 2:08 AM3.019°S → SSW
August10:16 PM – 12:06 AM1.818°S → SSW
September9:13 PM – 10:03 PM0.815°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
DecemberBelow 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F354363748389969486786143
Low °F-24-19-14-617223532222-18-24
Precip. (in)2.52.62.32.52.51.70.71.11.71.92.32.8

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 canyon

  • Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
  • Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
  • A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
  • From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
  • Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.

Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.

Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Emigration Canyon, Idaho, closest first.

Hot Spring
Maple Grove Hot Springs16 km away · Franklin County

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Emigration Canyon, Idaho?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
What time is golden hour at Emigration Canyon, Idaho?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:07 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:46 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:18 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Emigration Canyon, Idaho?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 57° in June to 122° in December; sunset ranges from 304° to 238°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Emigration Canyon, Idaho?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Emigration Canyon, Idaho?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Emigration Canyon, Idaho from Montpelier?
About 19.9 km (12.4 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.