Eye of the Needle — a natural arch in Chouteau County, Montana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 46 km (29 mi) ENE of Fort Benton.
Eye of the Needle was a sandstone natural arch located along the Missouri River near Fort Benton, Montana. At some point prior to May 27, 1997, it experienced considerable damage, though the cause of that damage is unclear.From the Wikipedia article “Eye of the Needle (Montana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eye of the Needle the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 53° NE | 9:24 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:08 AM | 125° SE | 4:31 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:30 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:22 PM | 10:03 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:05 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:57 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Eye of the Needle, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:56 AM – 4:26 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:58 AM – 3:08 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:37 AM – 1:57 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:03 AM – 1:03 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:41 PM – 11:01 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (71%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 56 | 61 | 75 | 84 | 90 | 98 | 102 | 99 | 92 | 86 | 69 | 56 |
| Low °F | -30 | -27 | -31 | 7 | 20 | 34 | 42 | 38 | 19 | 4 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
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
- 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.
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Eye of the Needle, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eye of the Needle?
What time is golden hour at Eye of the Needle?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eye of the Needle?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eye of the Needle?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eye of the Needle?
How far is Eye of the Needle from Fort Benton?
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.