Located in Beaverhead County, Montana, Beaverhead Rock is a rock formation. It lies in or next to Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) NE of Dillon.
From the National Park Service
Beaverhead Rock is a High Potential Historic Site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
On August 8, 1805, Lewis wrote that Sacagawea “recognized the point of a high plain to our right which she informed us was not very distant from the summer retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountains which runs to the west. this hill she says her nation calls the beaver’s head from a conceived remblance of it’s figure to the head of that animal. she assures us that we shall either find her people on this river or on the river immediately west of it’s source; which from it’s present size cannot be very distant. as it is now all important with us to meet with those people as soon as possible, I determined to proceed tomorrow with a small party to the source of the principal stream of this river and pass the mountains to the Columbia; and down that river untill I found the Indians; in short it is my resolusion to find them or some others, who have horses if it should cause me a trip of one month. for without horses we shall be obliged to leave a great part of our stores, of which, it appears to me that we have a stock already sufficiently small for the length of the voyage before us.”
Beaverhead Rock is within Beaverhead Rock State Park , located 14 miles south of Twin Bridges on Montana Highway 41. Although the rock is not publicly accessible, it is viewable from a parking area that includes interpretive wayside exhibits.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beaverhead Rock 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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 55° NE | 9:22 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:07 AM | 124° ESE | 4:50 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
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 | 7:33 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 39m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:27 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:16 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:53 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:22 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Beaverhead Rock, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 5:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:35 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:58 PM – 2:58 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:41 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:36 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:25 PM – 9:45 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 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 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 44 | 51 | 64 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 98 | 93 | 89 | 77 | 64 | 44 |
| Low °F | -31 | -24 | -22 | 4 | 17 | 25 | 33 | 31 | 19 | -1 | -25 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Beaverhead Rock, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beaverhead Rock?
What time is golden hour at Beaverhead Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beaverhead Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beaverhead Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beaverhead Rock?
How far is Beaverhead Rock from Dillon?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.