Bozeman is a city of about 43,405 people in Gallatin County, Montana, at 1,468 m (4,816 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:48 AM and sets at 6:31 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:50 PM – 6:50 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:02 AM | 8:49 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:10 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:25 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:59 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 42m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Bozeman
At Bozeman 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° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
Best photo spots near Bozeman
41 photo locations lie within 80 km of Bozeman. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
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Lakes
Natural Arches
Mountain Peaks
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Mountain PeakHot Springs
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Bozeman is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bear Trap Hot Springs, about 52 km (32 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Trap Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 52 km (32 mi) | 1 |
| Emigrant Peak | Mountain Peak | 53 km (33 mi) | 1 |
| Ousel Falls | Waterfall | 54 km (34 mi) | 1 |
| Lombard | Ghost Town | 55 km (34 mi) | 1 |
| Sixteen | Ghost Town | 60 km (37 mi) | 1 |
| Hunters Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 61 km (38 mi) | 1 |
| Cedar Falls | Waterfall | 62 km (38 mi) | 1 |
| Passage Falls | Waterfall | 64 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.2 | 14° |
| May | 1:31 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:46 AM | 2.8 | 15° |
| July | 11:37 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| August | 10:31 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.0 | 14° |
| September | 9:19 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.2 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (74%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.