Hurricane Mesa — a rock formation in Park County, Wyoming — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of North Absaroka Wilderness. The nearest town is Red Lodge, about 58 km (36 mi) away (Hurricane Mesa lies SW of town).
Hurricane Mesa is an 11,069-foot-elevation (3,374-meter) mountain summit in Park County, Wyoming, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Hurricane Mesa (Wyoming)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hurricane Mesa 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) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 55° NE | 9:10 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 123° ESE | 4:42 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 | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Hurricane Mesa, 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 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:21 AM – 4:41 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:19 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 2:58 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:22 PM – 1:42 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:41 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:42 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: 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 July as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 44 | 44 | 62 | 72 | 81 | 88 | 95 | 92 | 88 | 77 | 62 | 44 |
| Low °F | -24 | -23 | -14 | -1 | 7 | 24 | 35 | 32 | 17 | -9 | -18 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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.
- 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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Hurricane Mesa, closest first.
Natural Arch
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hunter Peak12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Soda Butte Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Island Lake Campground23 km (14 mi)
- Sunlight Rangers Cabin24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hurricane Mesa?
What time is golden hour at Hurricane Mesa?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hurricane Mesa?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hurricane Mesa?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hurricane Mesa?
How far is Hurricane Mesa from Red Lodge?
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.