Big Hole National Battlefield is a National Battlefield in Montana. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Big Hole 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 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:12 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:17 PM | 240° | 9h 05m |
| February | 7:38 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:02 PM | 253° | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:48 AM | 8:27 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:41 PM | 268° | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 285° | 13h 31m |
| May | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 299° | 14h 55m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:26 PM | 306° | 15h 41m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:22 PM | 303° | 15h 21m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:44 PM | 291° | 14h 08m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 275° | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:52 AM | 8:32 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:50 PM | 259° | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:05 PM | 244° | 9h 30m |
| December | 8:09 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:52 PM | 237° | 8h 43m |
Computed for the park's reference point (45.6465, -113.6458); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Big Hole, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| March | 5:41 AM – 6:01 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.2 | 14° |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:42 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| June | 12:07 AM – 2:57 AM | 2.8 | 15° |
| July | 11:48 PM – 1:48 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| August | 10:42 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.0 | 14° |
| September | 9:30 PM – 9:40 PM | 0.2 | 11° |
| October | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
This region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. By definition, Wisdom is considered a subalpine climate.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and March 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 (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. 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.
Getting there
Big Hole National Battlefield is located on Highway 43 ten miles west of the town of Wisdom in southwestern Montana. Bear Paw Battlefield is located on Route 240 sixteen miles south of the town of Chinook in north-central Montana.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Cultural Demonstrations
- Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Food
- Picnicking
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Skiing
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Snowshoeing
- Wildlife Watching
- Birdwatching
- Park Film
- Museum Exhibits
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
- Gift Shop and Souvenirs
