Located in Glacier County, Montana, Blackfoot Glacier is a glacier at about 2,471 m (8,107 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Glacier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 45 km (28 mi) ENE of Columbia Falls.
Blackfoot Glacier is the second largest of the remaining 25 glaciers in Glacier National Park, Montana. Blackfoot Glacier is just to the north of Blackfoot Mountain and near Jackson Glacier. The glacier was most recently measured in 2015 at 370 acres (1.5 km2), yet when first documented in 1850, the glacier also included the now separate Jackson Glacier and together, they covered 1,875 acres (7.59 km2). In 1850, there were an estimated 150 glaciers in the park. Glaciologists have stated that by the year 2030, all the glaciers in the park may disappear. However, under a modest increase in overall carbon dioxide levels, some glaciers will remain until the late 23rd century.From the Wikipedia article “Blackfoot Glacier”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blackfoot Glacier the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 52° NE | 9:41 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:25 AM | 126° SE | 4:42 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 17m |
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
Ice shows its blue best under overcast skies or in shade; bright sun turns glaciers white and flat.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:47 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:14 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:43 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 14m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:50 PM | 9:39 PM | 10:21 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:13 PM | 15h 44m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 13m |
| December | 7:44 AM | 8:21 AM | 9:16 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 19m |
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 Blackfoot Glacier, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:19 AM – 3:19 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 1:13 AM – 1:53 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:26 AM – 1:06 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:59 PM – 11:09 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 3.5+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 34 | 38 | 46 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 92 | 86 | 74 | 54 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -39 | -37 | -12 | 15 | 23 | 34 | 32 | 13 | -3 | -27 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
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 glacier
- Include a person or boat for scale — glaciers are much larger than they look.
- Boat tours to tidewater glaciers offer calving shots; use fast shutter speeds and a telephoto.
- Never walk on a glacier without training and gear; crevasses hide under snow bridges.
- Expose carefully: ice and snow fool meters into underexposure, so add +1 to +2 stops.
- A polarizer deepens the blue of glacial ice and the turquoise of meltwater lakes.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Summer offers access; late summer exposes the most bare ice before new snow.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Polarizer, Waterproof shell, Spare batteries (cold drains them). Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Blackfoot Glacier, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Glacier
WaterfallGlacierGlacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Avalanche Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Sprague Creek Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Many Glacier Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Fish Creek Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- St. Mary Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blackfoot Glacier?
What time is golden hour at Blackfoot Glacier?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blackfoot Glacier?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blackfoot Glacier?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blackfoot Glacier?
How far is Blackfoot Glacier from Columbia Falls?
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.