Steptoe Butte is a rock formation in Whitman County, Washington. It is part of Steptoe Butte State Park. It sits roughly 17.7 km (11.0 mi) NNE of Colfax.
Wikidata describes it as: “butte in Whitman County, Washington State, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Steptoe Butte the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:55 AM | 53° NE | 8:49 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 125° SE | 4:03 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 30m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:38 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:54 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:14 AM | 4:54 AM | 5:42 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 4:32 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:09 PM | 4:01 PM | 4:37 PM | 8h 32m |
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 Steptoe Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:17 AM – 2:47 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:42 PM – 1:52 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 12:47 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 10:43 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 53 | 56 | 69 | 82 | 90 | 102 | 100 | 101 | 96 | 84 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -19 | -12 | -7 | 23 | 26 | 35 | 42 | 43 | 29 | 11 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
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.
- 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
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Steptoe Butte, closest first.
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Steptoe Butte?
What time is golden hour at Steptoe Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Steptoe Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Steptoe Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Steptoe Butte?
How far is Steptoe Butte from Colfax?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.