Located in Jefferson County, Oregon, Black Butte is a mountain peak at about 1,937 m (6,355 ft) above sea level. It is part of Deschutes National Forest. It sits roughly 13.9 km (8.6 mi) NNW of Sisters.
Black Butte is an extinct stratovolcano in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Jefferson County, it is part of Deschutes National Forest. Black Butte forms part of the Cascade volcanic arc. The butte lies just south of the Metolius Springs, which merge to form the headwaters of the Metolius River. The Metolius River's basin sustains a wide array of plant life, large and small mammals, and more than 80 bird species.From the Wikipedia article “Black Butte (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Butte 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 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 52m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Black Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:23 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:08 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Black Butte, closest first.
Cave
Lake
VolcanoState Park
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain Pass
VolcanoVolcanoCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indian Ford Campground4.9 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Riverside Campground (Deschutes National Forest, Or)6.2 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Blue Bay8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- South Shore8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Scout Lake9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Butte?
What time is golden hour at Black Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Butte?
How far is Black Butte from Sisters?
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.