Armstead is a ghost town in Beaverhead County, Montana at about 1,690 m (5,545 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Dillon, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Armstead lies SSW of town).
Armstead is a former community in Beaverhead County, Montana, United States, about 21 miles (34 km) south of the county seat of Dillon. It was named after miner Harry Armstead. Armstead was located in a narrow valley of the Beaverhead River, near the mouth of Horse Prairie Creek. The town was a station stop on the Union Pacific Railroad line from Idaho Falls, Idaho to Butte, Montana. There was a post office in Armstead from 1907 to 1962. Armstead is perhaps best remembered as the eastern terminus and headquarters of the Gilmore and Pittsburgh Railroad, which operated a line from there to Salmon, Idaho between 1910 and 1939. The Lewis and Clark expedition traveled past the future location of Armstead during its westward trek in 1805.From the Wikipedia article “Armstead, Montana”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Armstead 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 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 55° NE | 9:22 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:07 AM | 123° ESE | 4:53 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:34 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:25 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Armstead, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | 5:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:34 AM – 4:54 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:32 AM – 3:42 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:53 PM – 3:03 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:36 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:34 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:24 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 5.5+ 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 37% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 37 | 49 | 61 | 72 | 83 | 88 | 94 | 91 | 87 | 76 | 58 | 42 |
| Low °F | -28 | -29 | -14 | -3 | 17 | 24 | 31 | 29 | 18 | 0 | -28 | -26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
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 ghost town
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Armstead, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Armstead?
What time is golden hour at Armstead?
Where does the sun rise and set at Armstead?
Can you see the Milky Way from Armstead?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Armstead?
How far is Armstead from Dillon?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.