McDonald Peak is a mountain peak in Lake County, Montana at about 2,983 m (9,787 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) SE of Ronan.
McDonald Peak, elevation 9,820 feet (2,993 m), is located in the U.S. state of Montana and is the highest peak in the Mission Mountains. McDonald Peak is situated within the Flathead Indian Reservation. The peak has the second greatest topographic prominence (after Crazy Peak) of all summits within Montana and is almost 80 miles (130 km) away from the next highest mountain in the state. McDonald Glacier is on the north slope of the peak. During the summer the summit and surrounding area are inhabited by grizzly bears for the purpose of feeding on insects. Consequently, in the interests of conservation and safety, the area is closed to hikers between July 15 and September 30.From the Wikipedia article “McDonald Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McDonald Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 53° NE | 9:37 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:21 AM | 125° SE | 4:48 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:09 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:47 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:16 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:47 PM | 9:35 PM | 10:15 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:08 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:20 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:41 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:10 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:22 PM | 8h 29m |
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 McDonald Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:05 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:10 AM – 4:50 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:09 AM – 3:29 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:40 AM – 2:30 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:11 AM – 1:31 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 37 | 45 | 65 | 71 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 95 | 87 | 77 | 59 | 38 |
| Low °F | -29 | -36 | -27 | -7 | 20 | 27 | 35 | 35 | 20 | -10 | -15 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
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.
- 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 McDonald Peak, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakWaterfall
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lindbergh Lake Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi)
- Owl Creek Corral24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Holland Lake Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lake Alva Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Old Condon Ranger Station26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph McDonald Peak?
What time is golden hour at McDonald Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at McDonald Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from McDonald Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McDonald Peak?
How far is McDonald Peak from Ronan?
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.