Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub is a rock formation in Teton County, Wyoming. It lies in or next to Grand Teton National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Moose Wilson Road, about 19.2 km (11.9 mi) away (Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub lies NE of town).
From the National Park Service
This section of pathway allows bicyclists to complete a loop on the secondary roads from Antelope Flats to Kelly and return to Gros Ventre Junction without riding on the main highway. There is parking available at the small lot on the north end Blacktail Butte just south of Antelope Flats Road. ADA compliant. Regulations Do not access the pathway from dusk to dawn for your safety and wildlife's safety. Please do not walk your dog on the pathway. Guide dogs-used for the sole purpose of aiding a person with a physical disability-may travel on the pathway. Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are premitted if they have fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1hp). Persons with physical disabilities may use other forms of electric and battery operated transportation. The multi-use pathway is closed from dusk to dawn for wildlife and public safety. Name Origin Named for the ditches dug by prospectors looking for gold in the 1860s and 1870s.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub 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) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 56° NE | 9:09 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 123° ESE | 4:49 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub, 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:57 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:53 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 33 | 33 | 52 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 89 | 83 | 74 | 57 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -31 | -23 | -10 | 5 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 18 | -3 | -19 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
CanyonLake
Canyon
Lake
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gros Ventre Campground5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Jenny Lake Campground10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Teton Canyon21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Signal Mountain Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Reunion Flat23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub?
What time is golden hour at Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub?
How far is Blacktail Butte Pathway Hub from Moose Wilson Road?
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.