Swiftcurrent Mountain is a mountain peak in Glacier County, Montana at about 2,551 m (8,369 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Glacier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 55 km (34 mi) NNE of Columbia Falls.
Swiftcurrent Mountain (8,440 feet; 2,573 m) is located in the Lewis Range, Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. Swiftcurrent Mountain is situated along the Continental Divide. The historic Swiftcurrent Fire Lookout is at the top of the mountain.From the Wikipedia article “Swiftcurrent Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Swiftcurrent Mountain 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 309° (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 | 9:43 PM | 309° NW | 65° | 16h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:26 AM | 126° SE | 4:42 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 15m |
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 | 7:48 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:16 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:42 PM | 8h 43m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 12m |
| 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 | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 16m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:41 PM | 10:23 PM | 16h 09m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:35 PM | 10:15 PM | 15h 46m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:39 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:18 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 17m |
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 Swiftcurrent Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | 4:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:22 AM – 3:12 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:23 AM – 3:03 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:31 AM – 1:11 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:01 PM – 11:01 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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 ≈ 21.93 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Swiftcurrent Mountain, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakLake
GlacierLake
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Many Glacier Campground6.7 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Avalanche Campground12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Sprague Creek Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- St. Mary Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Swiftcurrent Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Swiftcurrent Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Swiftcurrent Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Swiftcurrent Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Swiftcurrent Mountain?
How far is Swiftcurrent Mountain 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.