Inyan Kara Mountain — a mountain peak in Crook County, Wyoming at about 1,935 m (6,348 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 22 km (13 mi) S of Sundance. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Inyan Kara Mountain (Lakota: Íŋyaŋ Káǧa, Rock Gatherer) is a mountain associated with the Bear Lodge Mountains of Crook County, Wyoming, (part of the Black Hills) that is considered sacred by the Lakota people, particularly for mothers in childbirth. Inyan Kara stands apart from the main body of the Black Hills, with an elevation of 6,368 feet (1,941 m). The mountain was stated to rumble on quiet days by the local Native Americans and by early explorers. No mention of the noises is found after 1833; the noise has been attributed to gas escaping from burning coal seams. The peak was visited by George Armstrong Custer during Custer's 1874 Black Hills Expedition, reaching the summit on July 23. The peak was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.From the Wikipedia article “Inyan Kara Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Inyan Kara Mountain 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) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 55° NE | 8:45 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 123° ESE | 4:22 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:38 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Inyan Kara Mountain, 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 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:47 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 2:40 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:55 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:19 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 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 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 61 | 67 | 78 | 83 | 92 | 104 | 107 | 102 | 98 | 89 | 72 | 62 |
| Low °F | -18 | -15 | -16 | 6 | 13 | 31 | 43 | 38 | 26 | -1 | -4 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Inyan Kara Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Inyan Kara Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Inyan Kara Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Inyan Kara Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Inyan Kara Mountain?
How far is Inyan Kara Mountain from Sundance?
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.