Located in Gallatin County, Montana, Hebgen Lake is a lake. The nearest town is West Yellowstone, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Hebgen Lake lies NW of town).
Hebgen Lake is a reservoir created by the Hebgen Dam, located in Gallatin County in southwest Montana. It is well known for the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (magnitude 7.1 to 7.5) which occurred nearby on August 17, 1959, forming Quake Lake, which is located immediately downstream.From the Wikipedia article “Hebgen Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hebgen Lake 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 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 55° NE | 9:16 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 123° ESE | 4:48 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:47 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Hebgen Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 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 | 5:29 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 4:47 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 3:04 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:28 PM – 1:48 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:27 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:18 PM – 9:48 PM | 0.5 | 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 36% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 32 | 33 | 54 | 69 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 94 | 87 | 76 | 58 | 37 |
| Low °F | -30 | -33 | -19 | -7 | 10 | 24 | 32 | 29 | 20 | -2 | -21 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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 lake
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Hebgen Lake, closest first.
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Mountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cabin Creek Campground1.1 km (0.7 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Creek Campground3.0 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Beaver Creek Cabin (Mt)6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Cabin Creek Cabin11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Rainbow Point Campground15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hebgen Lake?
What time is golden hour at Hebgen Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hebgen Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hebgen Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hebgen Lake?
How far is Hebgen Lake from West Yellowstone?
Sources
Location data: 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.