Located in Ravalli County, Montana, Bitterroot National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is Hamilton, about 15.2 km (9.4 mi) away (Bitterroot National Forest lies E of town).
Bitterroot National Forest comprises 1.587 million acres (6,423 km2) in west-central Montana and eastern Idaho of the United States. It is located primarily in Ravalli County, Montana (70.26% of the forest), but also has acreage in Idaho County, Idaho (29.24%), and Missoula County, Montana (0.49%). Founded in 1898, the forest is located in the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains with elevations ranging from 2,200 feet (650 m) along the Salmon River in Idaho to 10,157 foot (3,100 m) Trapper Peak. Roughly half the forest (743,000 acres, 3,000 km2) make up part or all of three distinct Wilderness areas. These areas include the Anaconda–Pintler, Selway–Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wildernesses. The distinction is that in wilderness areas, no roads, logging, mining or other construction is permitted and all access must be done either on foot or horseback; even bicycles are...From the Wikipedia article “Bitterroot National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bitterroot National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 54° NE | 9:32 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:17 AM | 124° SE | 4:53 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 36m |
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
Forests suit soft light — overcast days reduce contrast under the canopy, and morning fog adds depth.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:42 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:09 PM | 15h 46m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:35 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:21 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 38m |
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 Bitterroot National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:52 AM – 6:02 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:54 AM – 4:54 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:48 AM – 3:38 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:15 AM – 2:55 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:55 PM – 1:45 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:46 PM – 11:36 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:33 PM – 9:43 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 49 | 50 | 69 | 74 | 84 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 90 | 83 | 65 | 44 |
| Low °F | -27 | -36 | -25 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 33 | 31 | 20 | -9 | -14 | -33 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
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 national forest
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Dispersed camping is often allowed, which makes sunrise and night shoots easier — check local rules.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
Suggested gear: Polarizer, Tripod, Offline maps, Insect repellent. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Recreational drones are generally allowed in national forests outside designated wilderness, subject to FAA rules and temporary flight restrictions — wildfire TFRs are common in summer.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Bitterroot National Forest, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Mountain Pass
CanyonWaterfall
Wilderness Area
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gird Point5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Gold Creek Campground18.9 km (11.7 mi)
- Blodgett Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Lake Como Campground28 km (17 mi)
- Three Sisters Group Site (Mt)28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bitterroot National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Bitterroot National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bitterroot National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bitterroot National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bitterroot National Forest?
How far is Bitterroot National Forest from Hamilton?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.