Hell Gate is a ghost town in Missoula County, Montana at about 952 m (3,123 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Orchard Homes, about 3.7 km (2.3 mi) away (Hell Gate lies NW of town).
Hell Gate (sometimes known as Hell Gate Ronde, Hell's Gate or Hellgate) is a ghost town at the western end of the Missoula Valley in Missoula County, Montana, United States. The town was located on the banks of the Clark Fork River roughly five miles downstream from present-day Missoula near what is now Frenchtown.From the Wikipedia article “Hell Gate, Montana”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hell Gate the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 54° NE | 9:35 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 125° SE | 4:51 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:49 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:13 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:21 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 9:07 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Hell Gate, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 6:04 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:57 AM – 4:47 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:29 AM – 2:39 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:04 AM – 1:34 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:50 PM – 11:30 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 65 | 71 | 81 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 89 | 80 | 63 | 41 |
| Low °F | -26 | -36 | -25 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 20 | -11 | -14 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Hell Gate, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pattee Canyon Picnic Area7.3 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- West Fork Butte Lookout29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hell Gate?
What time is golden hour at Hell Gate?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hell Gate?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hell Gate?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hell Gate?
How far is Hell Gate from Orchard Homes?
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.