Lolo Butte is a rock formation in Deschutes County, Oregon. The nearest town is Three Rivers, about 11.7 km (7.3 mi) away (Lolo Butte lies WNW of town).
Lolo Butte is a summit in Deschutes County, Oregon, in the United States. with an elevation of 4,835 feet (1,474 m) NGVD 29. Lolo is a name derived from Chinook Jargon meaning pack or carry.From the Wikipedia article “Lolo Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lolo Butte the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 56° NE | 8:53 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Lolo Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:40 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 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 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 59 | 61 | 72 | 79 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 71 | 55 |
| Low °F | -16 | -5 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 16 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Lolo Butte, closest first.
Rock Formation
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Volcano
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fall River Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Big River9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Fall River Guard Station9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Pringle Falls Campground11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Wyeth Campground - Deschutes12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lolo Butte?
What time is golden hour at Lolo Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lolo Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lolo Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lolo Butte?
How far is Lolo Butte from Three Rivers?
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.