Gillette is a city of about 32,649 people in Campbell County, Wyoming, at 1,388 m (4,554 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:11 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:31 PM – 6:29 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 | 7:35 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 6:03 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:42 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 PM | 8h 53m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Gillette
At Gillette the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
Best photo spots near Gillette
2 photo locations lie within 80 km of Gillette. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Mountain Peaks
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Gillette is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Keyhole State Park, about 58 km (36 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyhole State Park | State Park | 58 km (36 mi) | 1 |
| Devils Tower | Mountain Peak | 71 km (44 mi) | 1 |
| Inyan Kara Mountain | Mountain Peak | 93 km (58 mi) | 1 |
| Powder River Pass | Mountain Pass | 127 km (79 mi) | 1 |
| Elk Mountain Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 133 km (82 mi) | 1 |
| Cloud Peak | Mountain Peak | 133 km (83 mi) | 1 |
| Poker Jim Butte Fire Lookout | Fire Lookout | 134 km (83 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Woolsey | Mountain Peak | 134 km (83 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:55 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.7 | 13° |
| April | 2:52 AM – 4:22 AM | 1.5 | 16° |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 11:15 PM – 2:45 AM | 3.5 | 17° |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 10:01 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:24 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.