The Ant and the Yellowjacket is a natural arch in Nez Perce County, Idaho at about 247 m (810 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.6 km (3.5 mi) NW of Lapwai.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The Ant and the Yellowjacket 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 307° (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) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:55 AM | 54° NE | 8:44 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 124° SE | 4:04 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 00m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 4:39 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:50 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 4:16 AM | 4:55 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 4:33 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:11 PM | 4:02 PM | 4:37 PM | 8h 37m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 The Ant and the Yellowjacket, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:06 AM – 4:06 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:01 AM – 2:51 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:31 PM – 2:01 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 12:49 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 10:48 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 8:44 PM | 0.0 | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.05 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 29% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 54 | 58 | 72 | 83 | 88 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 95 | 87 | 66 | 50 |
| Low °F | -19 | -24 | -6 | 18 | 25 | 35 | 42 | 41 | 25 | 5 | -4 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
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 natural arch
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Frame distant features through the opening of the arch for a natural window.
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of The Ant and the Yellowjacket, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph The Ant and the Yellowjacket?
What time is golden hour at The Ant and the Yellowjacket?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at The Ant and the Yellowjacket?
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Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.