Located in Flathead County, Montana, Gunsight Mountain (Montana) is a mountain peak at about 2,769 m (9,085 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Glacier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Columbia Falls, about 42 km (26 mi) away (Gunsight Mountain (Montana) lies NE of town).
Gunsight Mountain (9,263 feet (2,823 m)) is located in the Lewis Range, Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. Gunsight Mountain is named after the adjacent Gunsight Pass, which was named by George Bird Grinnell in 1891.From the Wikipedia article “Gunsight Mountain (Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gunsight Mountain (Montana) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 52° NE | 9:42 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:26 AM | 126° SE | 4:42 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 17m |
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 | 7:47 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:43 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 41m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:50 PM | 9:40 PM | 10:22 PM | 16h 07m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 22m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:39 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 13m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 9:16 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 19m |
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 Gunsight Mountain (Montana), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 4:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:19 AM – 3:19 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 1:13 AM – 1:53 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:26 AM – 1:06 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:59 PM – 11:09 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 3.5+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 34 | 38 | 46 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 92 | 86 | 74 | 54 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -39 | -37 | -12 | 15 | 23 | 34 | 32 | 13 | -3 | -27 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Gunsight Mountain (Montana), closest first.
Glacier
Lake
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
LakeWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Avalanche Campground8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Sprague Creek Campground9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Fish Creek Campground18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
- Apgar Campground19.9 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
- Apgar Group Sites19.9 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gunsight Mountain (Montana)?
What time is golden hour at Gunsight Mountain (Montana)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gunsight Mountain (Montana)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gunsight Mountain (Montana)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gunsight Mountain (Montana)?
How far is Gunsight Mountain (Montana) from Columbia Falls?
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.