Located in Sweet Grass County, Montana, Crazy Peak is a mountain peak at about 3,407 m (11,178 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) NW of Big Timber.
Crazy Peak, elevation 11,214 ft (3,418 m), is the highest peak in the Crazy Mountains, an island range of the Montana Rockies, in the United States. Crazy Peak dominates the surroundings, rising over 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above the Yellowstone River Valley, and is the highest peak in Montana north of the Beartooth Mountains, which are 50 miles (80 km) to the south. Crazy Peak is also the most topographically prominent peak in Montana. A small glacier exists on the northeast slope of the mountain. The mountain is located on private land within the Gallatin National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Crazy Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crazy Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 54° NE | 9:16 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:01 AM | 124° SE | 4:39 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 38m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 44m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:07 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 40m |
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 Crazy Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:37 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:31 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 2:47 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:37 PM – 1:27 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:30 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and March 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 | 42 | 49 | 65 | 75 | 83 | 89 | 97 | 93 | 86 | 79 | 62 | 45 |
| Low °F | -30 | -36 | -27 | 2 | 14 | 25 | 35 | 34 | 18 | -8 | -27 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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 mountain peak
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Crazy Peak, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Halfmoon Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi)
- Ibex Cabin12.8 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Porcupine Cabin18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- Crandall Creek Cabin21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crazy Peak?
What time is golden hour at Crazy Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crazy Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crazy Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crazy Peak?
How far is Crazy Peak from Big Timber?
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.