Kalispell is a city of about 22,052 people in Flathead County, Montana, at 901 m (2,956 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:05 AM and sets at 6:41 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:57 PM – 7:00 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 | 8:24 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:46 PM | 8h 47m |
| February | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:15 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 7:51 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 12m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:40 PM | 10:22 PM | 16h 03m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 41m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:57 AM | 8:40 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:21 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:12 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 8:22 AM | 9:16 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 22m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Kalispell
At Kalispell the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
Best photo spots near Kalispell
154 photo locations lie within 80 km of Kalispell. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Natural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Kalispell is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge, about 42 km (26 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to July, best in May. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 42 km (26 mi) | 1 |
| Stanton Glacier | Glacier | 43 km (27 mi) | 1 |
| Grant Glacier | Glacier | 44 km (27 mi) | 1 |
| McGee Meadow Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 49 km (30 mi) | 1 |
| Martin Falls | Waterfall | 50 km (31 mi) | 1 |
| Lake McDonald | Lake | 50 km (31 mi) | 1 |
| Camas Creek Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 51 km (31 mi) | 1 |
| Loneman Fire Lookout | Fire Lookout | 52 km (32 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | 4:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 0.5 | 12° |
| May | 2:18 AM – 3:18 AM | 1.0 | 13° |
| June | 1:03 AM – 2:03 AM | 1.0 | 13° |
| July | 12:24 AM – 1:14 AM | 0.8 | 12° |
| August | 10:59 PM – 11:19 PM | 0.3 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.