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44.7681° N107.2901° WBortle 2Denver

Tongue Butte Photography Guide

Rock Formation in Sheridan County, Wyoming

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 237°–305°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Apr–Sep

Tongue Butte is a rock formation in Sheridan County, Wyoming. The nearest town is Sheridan, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Tongue Butte lies W of town).

Tongue Butte is a summit in Sheridan County, Wyoming, in the United States. With an elevation of 7,946 feet (2,422 m), Tongue Butte is the 885th tallest mountain in Wyoming.From the Wikipedia article “Tongue Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Sheridan
27 km (17 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
40% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
3.3 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:46 PM
sunset 6:26 PM

Light at Tongue Butte

Live
Sunrise
7:32 AM
Sunset
6:18 PM
Golden hour AM
7:13 AM – 8:12 AM
Golden hour PM
5:37 PM – 6:36 PM
Blue hour AM
7:02 AM – 7:13 AM
Blue hour PM
6:36 PM – 6:47 PM
Full darkness
7:55 PM – 5:55 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:48 PM / 1:17 AM
Day length
10h 46m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Denver. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Tongue Butte 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:13 AM90° E7:22 PM271° W45°12h 09m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:24 AM55° NE8:59 PM305° NW69°15h 35m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:57 AM89° E7:08 PM271° W45°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:44 AM123° ESE4:32 PM237° WSW22°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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:11 AM7:44 AM8:30 AM4:08 PM4:55 PM5:27 PM9h 11m
February6:41 AM7:11 AM7:52 AM4:57 PM5:38 PM6:08 PM10h 27m
March6:53 AM7:22 AM8:01 AM6:37 PM7:15 PM7:44 PM11h 53m
April5:55 AM6:25 AM7:05 AM7:15 PM7:54 PM8:25 PM13h 29m
May5:08 AM5:42 AM6:24 AM7:49 PM8:31 PM9:05 PM14h 49m
June4:46 AM5:24 AM6:09 AM8:12 PM8:57 PM9:35 PM15h 34m
July5:03 AM5:38 AM6:22 AM8:09 PM8:53 PM9:29 PM15h 15m
August5:40 AM6:12 AM6:53 AM7:37 PM8:17 PM8:49 PM14h 05m
September6:19 AM6:49 AM7:27 AM6:43 PM7:22 PM7:51 PM12h 33m
October6:56 AM7:25 AM8:05 AM5:46 PM6:26 PM6:55 PM11h 01m
November6:35 AM7:07 AM7:51 AM3:58 PM4:42 PM5:14 PM9h 35m
December7:07 AM7:41 AM8:29 AM3:41 PM4:30 PM5:03 PM8h 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 Tongue Butte, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
March5:13 AM – 5:33 AM0.312°SSE → SSE
April3:11 AM – 4:31 AM1.316°SSE → S
May1:09 AM – 3:29 AM2.316°SSE → S
June11:28 PM – 2:48 AM3.316°SSE → SSW
July11:12 PM – 1:32 AM2.316°S → SSW
August10:11 PM – 11:31 PM1.315°SSW → SSW
September9:02 PM – 9:32 PM0.512°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—7°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 40% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F394258697586929082735742
Low °F-34-32-21-10621332711-15-21-32
Precip. (in)1.31.61.82.53.52.51.41.42.02.21.41.2

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.

Nearby photo spots

Other locations within 25 km of Tongue Butte, closest first.

Cave
Tongue River Cave9.1 km away · Sheridan County
Natural Arch
Needles Eye9.2 km away · Sheridan County
Mountain Pass
Granite Pass22 km away · Sheridan County · 2,754 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Tongue Butte?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
What time is golden hour at Tongue Butte?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:46 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:26 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:05 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Tongue Butte?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 55° in June to 123° in December; sunset ranges from 305° to 237°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Tongue Butte?
Yes — the core is visible from April to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tongue Butte?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Tongue Butte from Sheridan?
About 27 km (17 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.