Helena is a city of about 32,091 people in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, at 1,237 m (4,058 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:53 AM and sets at 6:34 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:52 PM – 6:53 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 | 8:09 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:42 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:46 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:13 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:31 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 8:06 AM | 8:58 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 35m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Helena
At Helena the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
Best photo spots near Helena
27 photo locations lie within 80 km of Helena. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
Hot Springs
Fire Lookouts
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Helena is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mike Horse, about 54 km (34 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Horse | Ghost Town | 54 km (34 mi) | 1 |
| Rogers Pass | Mountain Pass | 59 km (37 mi) | 1 |
| Vista Point of Interest | Scenic Viewpoint | 60 km (37 mi) | 1 |
| Lewis and Clark Pass | Mountain Pass | 68 km (42 mi) | 1 |
| Tower Rock State Park | State Park | 68 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Lombard | Ghost Town | 73 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Scapegoat Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 79 km (49 mi) | 1 |
| Lewis and Clark Caverns | Cave | 84 km (52 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:45 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| April | 3:47 AM – 4:47 AM | 1.0 | 14° |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:32 AM | 1.8 | 15° |
| June | 12:12 AM – 2:42 AM | 2.5 | 15° |
| July | 11:50 PM – 1:30 AM | 1.7 | 15° |
| August | 10:39 PM – 11:29 PM | 0.8 | 13° |
| September | 9:25 PM – 9:25 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.