Bunsen Peak is a mountain peak in Park County, Wyoming at about 2,599 m (8,527 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Yellowstone National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is West Yellowstone, about 43 km (27 mi) away (Bunsen Peak lies NE of town).
Bunsen Peak el. 8,564 feet (2,610 m) is a prominent peak due south of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The peak lies on the east flank of Kingman Pass on the Mammoth to Norris section of the Grand Loop Road. The peak was first ascended by Ferdinand V. Hayden and Captain John W. Barlow in 1871, Bunsen Peak was not named until 1872 during the second Hayden Geologic Survey. E. S. Topping named the peak Observation Mountain in 1872 as well, but that name did not stick. The Bunsen Peak Trail with its trailhead just south of Mammoth is a steep 2.1 miles (3.4 km) to the summit. Bunsen Peak was named for the German chemist Robert Bunsen, the inventor of the Bunsen Burner and responsible for early work on volcanic geyser theories.From the Wikipedia article “Bunsen Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bunsen 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 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 55° NE | 9:14 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 123° ESE | 4:45 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 | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Bunsen 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 | 5:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:26 AM – 4:46 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:24 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:45 PM – 2:55 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:28 PM – 1:38 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 9:36 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 5.5+ 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 February as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 33 | 32 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 72 | 53 | 33 |
| Low °F | -32 | -34 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 18 | -9 | -23 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Bunsen Peak, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
Canyon
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mammoth Campground (Yellowstone)4.8 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Indian Creek Campground (Wy)5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Creek Campground - Custer Gallatin National Forest12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Bear Creek Campground - Mt22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Tower Fall Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bunsen Peak?
What time is golden hour at Bunsen Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bunsen Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bunsen Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bunsen Peak?
How far is Bunsen Peak from West Yellowstone?
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.