Ketchum — a dark sky place in Blaine County, Idaho — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) S of Ketchum. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International.
Ketchum is a city in the western United States, located in Blaine County, Idaho. In the central part of the state, the population was 3,551 at the 2020 census, up from 2,689 in 2010. Located in the Wood River Valley, Ketchum is adjacent to Sun Valley and the communities share many resources: both sit in the same valley beneath Bald Mountain, with its skiing. The city also draws tourists to its fishing, hiking, trail riding, tennis, shopping, art galleries, and more. Air travel is through Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, approximately fifteen miles (24 km) south.From the Wikipedia article “Ketchum, Idaho”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ketchum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 56° NE | 9:23 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:09 AM | 123° ESE | 5:04 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:37 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Ketchum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:29 AM – 6:09 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:29 AM – 3:59 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 3:24 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:31 PM – 2:11 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:34 PM – 12:04 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:27 PM – 10:07 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 45 | 50 | 63 | 75 | 86 | 94 | 98 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 64 | 45 |
| Low °F | -21 | -16 | -8 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 35 | 33 | 24 | 6 | -29 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
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 dark sky place
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Ketchum, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Botanical GardenHot SpringHot Spring
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Boundary (Id)7.0 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- North Fork (Id)14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Murdock Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Wood River Group Overnight Area (Tent Only)15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Caribou Campground17.7 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ketchum?
What time is golden hour at Ketchum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ketchum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ketchum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ketchum?
How far is Ketchum from Ketchum?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via 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.