Lava Creek Tuff — a rock formation in Teton County, Wyoming — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Yellowstone National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 43 km (27 mi) SE of West Yellowstone.
The Lava Creek Tuff is a voluminous sheet of ash-flow tuff located in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, United States. It was created during the Lava Creek eruption around 640,000 years ago, which led to the formation of the Yellowstone Caldera. This eruption is considered the climactic event of Yellowstone's third volcanic cycle. The Lava Creek Tuff covers an area of more than 7,500 km2 (2,900 mi2) centered around the caldera and has an estimated magma volume of 1,000 km3 (240 cu mi). The fallout from the eruption blanketed much of North America, depositing as one of the most widespread air-fall pyroclastic layers, formerly known as the Pearlette type O ash bed in the United States and Wascana Creek ash in Canada. The thick tuff formation resulting from this eruption is well-exposed at various locations within Yellowstone National Park, including Tuff Cliff along the Gibbon River,...From the Wikipedia article “Lava Creek Tuff”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lava Creek Tuff 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) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 55° NE | 9:12 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 123° ESE | 4:47 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:41 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Lava Creek Tuff, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:17 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:21 AM – 3:41 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:39 PM – 3:09 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:44 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 11:43 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 9:45 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 33 | 32 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 72 | 53 | 33 |
| Low °F | -32 | -34 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 18 | -9 | -23 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Lava Creek Tuff, closest first.
Volcano
Lake
Lake
Mountain Pass
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lava Creek Tuff?
What time is golden hour at Lava Creek Tuff?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lava Creek Tuff?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lava Creek Tuff?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lava Creek Tuff?
How far is Lava Creek Tuff from West Yellowstone?
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.