Pryor Mountains National Forest is a national forest in Big Horn County, Montana. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) SSE of Laurel.
Pryor Mountains National Forest was established as the Pryor Mountains Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in Montana on November 6, 1906 by the U.S. Forest Service with 78,732 acres (318.62 km2). It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 it was combined with part of Yellowstone National Forest to establish Beartooth National Forest. The name was discontinued. The forest today comprises the Pryor Mountains unit of the Beartooth Ranger District of Custer National Forest, in Carbon County, Montana.From the Wikipedia article “Pryor Mountains National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pryor Mountains National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:27 AM | 55° NE | 9:07 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 124° ESE | 4:35 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 39m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 20m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:01 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 44m |
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 Pryor Mountains National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:20 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:20 AM – 3:30 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:43 PM – 2:43 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:26 PM – 1:26 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:30 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: 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 ≈ 21.83 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 63 | 64 | 77 | 86 | 92 | 101 | 107 | 102 | 99 | 89 | 74 | 59 |
| Low °F | -16 | -14 | -23 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 46 | 40 | 26 | 2 | -12 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Pryor Mountains National Forest, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pryor Mountains National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Pryor Mountains National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pryor Mountains National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pryor Mountains National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pryor Mountains National Forest?
How far is Pryor Mountains National Forest from Laurel?
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.