Sepulcher Mountain — a mountain peak in Park County, Wyoming at about 2,939 m (9,642 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is West Yellowstone, about 45 km (28 mi) away (Sepulcher Mountain lies NE of town).
Sepulcher Mountain, elevation 9,642 feet (2,939 m), is a moderate mountain peak in northwest Yellowstone National Park halfway between the summit of Electric Peak and Mammoth Hot Springs. The peak was named Sepulcher by U.S. Army Captain John W. Barlow in 1871 because of its resemblance to a crypt when viewed from Gardiner, Montana. The summit of Sepulcher Mountain can be reached by a 7.2-mile (11.6 km) trail from the mouth of Clematis Creek at Mammoth Hot Springs.From the Wikipedia article “Sepulcher Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sepulcher 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 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 55° NE | 9:14 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| 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 | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 26m |
| 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 | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:44 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 Sepulcher Mountain, 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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sepulcher Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mammoth Campground (Yellowstone)6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Creek Campground - Custer Gallatin National Forest9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Indian Creek Campground (Wy)11.7 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Bear Creek Campground - Mt18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Tom Miner Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sepulcher Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Sepulcher Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sepulcher Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sepulcher Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sepulcher Mountain?
How far is Sepulcher Mountain 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.