Mount Harrison is a mountain peak in Cassia County, Idaho at about 2,745 m (9,006 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) SSE of Burley.
Mount Harrison, at 9,265 feet (2,824 m) is a peak in the northern Albion Mountains of Cassia County in southern Idaho. Mount Harrison is located in north of Cache Peak, south of Burley, northeast of Oakley, and west of Malta in the Albion Division of the Minidoka Ranger District of Sawtooth National Forest. Mount Harrison is in the watershed of tributaries of the Snake River, which itself is a tributary of the Columbia River. The peak can be reached via a paved road that runs all the way to its summit. Lake Cleveland is located in the basin north of the peak, and a small unnamed lake is located in the basin southeast of the peak.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Harrison (Idaho)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Harrison the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 57° ENE | 9:16 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 122° ESE | 5:06 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:44 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Mount Harrison, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:17 AM – 4:07 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:27 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 12:15 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:22 PM – 10:12 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 63 | 59 | 74 | 85 | 98 | 104 | 107 | 102 | 101 | 90 | 73 | 56 |
| Low °F | -19 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 22 | 31 | 43 | 43 | 29 | 11 | -12 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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
- 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.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Mount Harrison, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Cleveland Campground - West Side756 m
- Lake Cleveland - East Side1.4 km (0.9 mi) · reservable
- Lake Cleveland Campground - West Side1.4 km (0.9 mi) · reservable
- Twin Lakes Campground (Sawtooth)2.8 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Thompson Flat3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Harrison?
What time is golden hour at Mount Harrison?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Harrison?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Harrison?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Harrison?
How far is Mount Harrison from Burley?
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.