Olallie Butte is a rock formation in Marion County, Oregon. The nearest town is Warm Springs, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Olallie Butte lies W of town).
Olallie Butte is a steep-sided shield volcano in the Cascade Range of the northern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the largest volcano and highest point in the 50-mile (80 km) distance between Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson. Located just outside the Olallie Scenic Area, it is surrounded by more than 200 lakes and ponds fed by runoff, precipitation, and underground seepage, which are popular spots for fishing, boating, and swimming. The butte forms a prominent feature in the Mount Jefferson region and is usually covered with snow during the winter and spring seasons.From the Wikipedia article “Olallie Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Olallie 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 | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 55° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 123° ESE | 4:30 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Olallie Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 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 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:09 AM – 4:29 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:26 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM | 0.5 | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 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
- 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 Olallie Butte, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Olallie Lake Guard Station Cabin2.3 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Breitenbush Campground18.5 km (11.5 mi) · reservable
- Cleator Bend19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Fox Creek Group Camp23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Whispering Falls Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Olallie Butte?
What time is golden hour at Olallie Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Olallie Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Olallie Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Olallie Butte?
How far is Olallie Butte from Warm Springs?
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.