Smoky Dome — a mountain peak in Camas County, Idaho at about 3,059 m (10,036 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hailey, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Smoky Dome lies W of town).
Smoky Dome, at 10,095 feet (3,077 m) above sea level is the highest peak in the Soldier Mountains of Idaho. Smoky Dome is located northwest of Fairfield in Camas County and Sawtooth National Forest. Smoky Dome rises about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) over the Camas Prairie and is the 21st most prominent peak in Idaho. Views from the summit encompass the Pioneer, Smoky, and Trinity Mountains as well as the Bennett Hills. The primary route to Smoky Dome begins just north of the Soldier Mountain Ski Area and heads west up and old dirt road that is now trail 087. The route then turns onto trail 185 as it crosses the South Fork of Soldier Creek. Once on the ridge above the ski area, follow the trail along the ridge until it ends below and to the northeast of the second peak. Continue to follow the ridge up the second and third peaks until you reach Smoky Dome. There are numerous other...From the Wikipedia article “Smoky Dome”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Smoky Dome 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 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 56° NE | 9:25 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:10 AM | 123° ESE | 5:07 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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 | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:55 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:23 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:54 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Smoky Dome, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:32 AM – 6:12 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:45 PM – 3:35 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:32 PM – 2:12 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 12:15 AM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:30 PM – 10:10 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 45 | 50 | 63 | 75 | 86 | 94 | 98 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 64 | 45 |
| Low °F | -21 | -16 | -8 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 35 | 33 | 24 | 6 | -29 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
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 Smoky Dome, closest first.
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bowns Campground13.4 km (8.3 mi)
- Baumgartner Campground17.6 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Elks Flat Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Dog Creek (Id)30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Smoky Dome?
What time is golden hour at Smoky Dome?
Where does the sun rise and set at Smoky Dome?
Can you see the Milky Way from Smoky Dome?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Smoky Dome?
How far is Smoky Dome from Hailey?
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.