Cedar Butte is a rock formation in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota. It lies in or next to Badlands National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Porcupine, about 36 km (23 mi) away (Cedar Butte lies NNW of town).
From the National Park Service
Cedar Butte is accessible by foot off of BIA 2. Visitors must pass through a barbed wire fence and proceed towards the butte through only gunnery range property. Proceed with caution and bring enough food, water, and medical supplies for the trip.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cedar 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 304° (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) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 56° NE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 123° ESE | 4:17 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:48 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Cedar Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:55 PM – 2:45 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:20 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 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 August as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 67 | 74 | 83 | 92 | 100 | 110 | 114 | 110 | 105 | 92 | 80 | 67 |
| Low °F | -14 | -6 | -7 | 9 | 23 | 39 | 49 | 44 | 32 | 9 | 4 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cedar Butte?
What time is golden hour at Cedar Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cedar Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cedar Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cedar Butte?
How far is Cedar Butte from Porcupine?
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.