Condon Butte — a rock formation in Lane County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Sisters, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Condon Butte lies WSW of town).
Condon Butte is a 5,901-foot (1,799 m) summit in Lane County, Oregon, in the United States. The butte was named for Thomas Condon a Congregationalist minister and professor of geology at the University of Oregon. The butte is in the Three Sisters Wilderness Area which is part of the Willamette National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Condon Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Condon Butte 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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 55° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Condon Butte, 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 2:50 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:28 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.74 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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 rock formation
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Condon Butte, closest first.
Volcano
Mountain PassVolcanoVolcano
WaterfallVolcanoVolcano
GlacierWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Scott Lake4.1 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Alder Springs Campground7.9 km (4.9 mi)
- Olallie On Mckenzie Highway - Willamette (Or)16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Big Lake West Campground16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Condon Butte?
What time is golden hour at Condon Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Condon Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Condon Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Condon Butte?
How far is Condon Butte from Sisters?
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.