Boulder Point Lookout is a fire lookout in Ravalli County, Montana. It is part of Bitterroot National Forest. It sits roughly 47 km (29 mi) SSW of Hamilton. It dates from 1937. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wikidata describes it as: “historic fire lookout”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boulder Point Lookout 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.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 89° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 54° NE | 9:32 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:16 AM | 124° SE | 4:56 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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
Lookouts are built for 360° views, so sunrise and sunset are both options — use the azimuths to decide which view you want.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:42 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:08 PM | 15h 42m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:35 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:23 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:02 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 8h 41m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Boulder Point Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:43 AM – 6:03 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:44 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:09 AM – 2:59 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:50 PM – 1:50 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:44 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:32 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 34% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (76%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 43 | 47 | 63 | 72 | 82 | 89 | 98 | 94 | 89 | 81 | 63 | 42 |
| Low °F | -30 | -32 | -13 | 1 | 17 | 24 | 33 | 29 | 21 | -2 | -20 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
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 fire lookout
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Summer and early autumn; many towers are staffed only during fire season.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Warm layers. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Boulder Point Lookout, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Hot SpringWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rombo8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Medicine Point Lookout14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Fales Flat Campground15.7 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Crazy Creek Campground17.3 km (10.8 mi)
- Warm Springs Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boulder Point Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Boulder Point Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boulder Point Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boulder Point Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boulder Point Lookout?
How far is Boulder Point Lookout from Hamilton?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.