Huckleberry Ridge Tuff is a rock formation in Fremont County, Idaho. The nearest town is Ashton, about 30 km (19 mi) away (Huckleberry Ridge Tuff lies NNE of town).
The Huckleberry Ridge Tuff is a tuff formation created by the Huckleberry Ridge eruption that formed the Island Park Caldera that lies partially in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and stretches westward into Idaho into a region known as Island Park. This eruption of 2,450 km3 (590 mi3) of material is thought to be one of the largest known eruptions in the Yellowstone hotspot's history. This eruption, 2.1 million years ago, is the third most recent large caldera-forming eruption from the Yellowstone hotspot. It was followed by the Mesa Falls Tuff and the Lava Creek Tuff eruptions. The eruption likely occurred in 3 phases, separated by decades.From the Wikipedia article “Huckleberry Ridge Tuff”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Huckleberry Ridge Tuff the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 55° NE | 9:14 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 123° ESE | 4:50 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 52m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:18 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 3:08 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:23 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 11:54 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 9:47 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 January 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 | 32 | 33 | 54 | 69 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 94 | 87 | 76 | 58 | 37 |
| Low °F | -30 | -33 | -19 | -7 | 10 | 24 | 32 | 29 | 20 | -2 | -21 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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 rock formation
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Huckleberry Ridge Tuff, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire Lookout
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Box Canyon Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi)
- Buffalo (Idaho)11.2 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Riverside (Id - Targhee)12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Buttermilk13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Warm River Cabin15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Huckleberry Ridge Tuff?
What time is golden hour at Huckleberry Ridge Tuff?
Where does the sun rise and set at Huckleberry Ridge Tuff?
Can you see the Milky Way from Huckleberry Ridge Tuff?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Huckleberry Ridge Tuff?
How far is Huckleberry Ridge Tuff from Ashton?
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.