Meridian Peak is a mountain peak in Park County, Montana at about 3,190 m (10,466 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Livingston, about 83 km (52 mi) away (Meridian Peak lies SSE of town).
Meridian Peak is a mountain in the Absaroka Range in the state of Montana, United States. It has an elevation of 10,466 feet (3,190 m) and is located in Park County, Montana. The mountain is included in Yellowstone National Park.From the Wikipedia article “Meridian Peak (Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Meridian Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 55° NE | 9:11 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 123° ESE | 4:42 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 47m |
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 Meridian Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:23 AM – 4:43 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:21 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:42 PM – 2:52 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:25 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:33 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 40% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 44 | 47 | 62 | 72 | 83 | 88 | 97 | 92 | 86 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -27 | -31 | -22 | -2 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 31 | 20 | -8 | -30 | -30 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
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.
- 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 Meridian Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Soda Butte Campground7.1 km (4.4 mi)
- Slough Creek Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Snowbank Campground30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Meridian Peak?
What time is golden hour at Meridian Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Meridian Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Meridian Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Meridian Peak?
How far is Meridian Peak from Livingston?
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.