Antelope Hills, Oklahoma is a mountain peak in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma at about 792 m (2,598 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Shattuck, about 41 km (26 mi) away (Antelope Hills, Oklahoma lies S of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Antelope Hills are a series of low hills in the bend of the Canadian River in northwest Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, near the border between western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle. They were a major landmark for the Plains Indians and travelers on what is now the western plains of Oklahoma. The area was part of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation until the Land Run of 1892 opened it to non-Indian settlement. The hills are on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Antelope Hills, Oklahoma”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Antelope Hills, Oklahoma the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:44 AM | 90° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 60° ENE | 9:00 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:28 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 119° ESE | 5:30 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Antelope Hills, Oklahoma, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 6:23 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:50 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:49 PM – 4:29 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 1:06 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 10:56 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:31 PM – 9:01 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 77 | 89 | 92 | 99 | 104 | 114 | 114 | 114 | 104 | 98 | 88 | 77 |
| Low °F | 5 | 5 | 9 | 23 | 35 | 52 | 59 | 56 | 44 | 21 | 16 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
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.
- 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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Antelope Hills, Oklahoma?
What time is golden hour at Antelope Hills, Oklahoma?
Where does the sun rise and set at Antelope Hills, Oklahoma?
Can you see the Milky Way from Antelope Hills, Oklahoma?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Antelope Hills, Oklahoma?
How far is Antelope Hills, Oklahoma from Shattuck?
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.