Borah Peak — a mountain peak in Custer County, Idaho at about 3,855 m (12,648 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Salmon–Challis National Forest. It sits roughly 54 km (34 mi) SE of Challis.
Borah Peak, also known as Mount Borah or Beauty Peak, is a mountain in the western United States and the highest summit in Idaho. One of the most prominent peaks in the contiguous United States, it is located in central Idaho in the central section of the Lost River Range, within the Challis National Forest in eastern Custer County. On February 11, 2021, the USGS officially recognized Mt. Borah as Idaho's only active glacier.From the Wikipedia article “Borah Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Borah Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 56° NE | 9:23 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:08 AM | 123° ESE | 5:00 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:36 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:27 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Borah Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:28 AM – 6:08 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:25 AM – 4:55 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:31 AM – 4:01 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:48 PM – 3:18 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:33 PM – 2:03 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:34 PM – 12:04 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:27 PM – 9:57 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 6.0+ 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 37% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 38 | 46 | 61 | 70 | 81 | 87 | 93 | 91 | 87 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -31 | -24 | -11 | -2 | 13 | 23 | 32 | 31 | 19 | -3 | -22 | -26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
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 mountain peak
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Borah Peak, closest first.
Mountain PeakMountain PeakMountain Peak
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Joe T. Fallini Recreation Site21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Loristica Group Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Garden Creek Campground29 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Borah Peak?
What time is golden hour at Borah Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Borah Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Borah Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Borah Peak?
How far is Borah Peak from Challis?
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.