Owl Peak — a mountain peak in Teton County, Wyoming at about 3,229 m (10,594 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Grand Teton National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Driggs, about 38 km (24 mi) away (Owl Peak lies NE of town).
Owl Peak (10,617 feet (3,236 m)) is in the northern Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming and is just east of Elk Mountain. The peak is located west of and across Jackson Lake from Lizard Creek Campground. Access to the peak is easiest by boat to the Berry Creek Trailhead at Wilcox Point then heading west at the Owl Creek Trail. After a 2 miles (3.2 km) hike along Berry Creek and Owl Creek trails, off trail access to the summit can be achieved after a steep ascent of an additional 2 miles (3.2 km). North of the mountain, the Tetons blend into the Yellowstone Plateau while to the south lies Webb Canyon.From the Wikipedia article “Owl Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Owl Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 56° NE | 9:10 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 123° ESE | 4:49 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Owl Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:12 AM – 4:52 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:17 AM – 3:47 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:33 PM – 3:13 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:19 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:51 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 6.0+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 33 | 33 | 52 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 89 | 83 | 74 | 57 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -31 | -23 | -10 | 5 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 18 | -3 | -19 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
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 Owl Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassCanyon
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Hot Spring
CanyonMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lizard Creek Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Marina End Ties14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Rv Park14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Campground14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Tent Village15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Owl Peak?
What time is golden hour at Owl Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Owl Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Owl Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Owl Peak?
How far is Owl Peak from Driggs?
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.