First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is a state park in Cascade County, Montana. The nearest town is Sun Prairie, about 6.4 km (4.0 mi) away (First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park lies SW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is a Montana state park and National Historic Landmark in Cascade County, Montana in the United States. The park is 1,481 acres (599 ha) and sits at an elevation of 3,773 feet (1,150 m). It is located about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northwest of the small town of Ulm, which is near the city of Great Falls. First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park contains the Ulm Pishkun (also known as the Ulm Buffalo Jump), a historic buffalo jump utilized by the Native American tribes of North America. It has been described as, geographically speaking, either North America's largest buffalo jump or the world's largest. There is some evidence that it was the most utilized buffalo jump in the world. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1974, and designated a National Historic Landmark in August 2015. The former name of the park was...From the Wikipedia article “First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park 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 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 53° NE | 9:28 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:12 AM | 125° SE | 4:38 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:12 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:11 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 9:01 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 28m |
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 First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:55 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:00 AM – 4:40 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:59 AM – 3:19 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:30 AM – 2:20 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:01 AM – 1:21 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:44 PM – 11:14 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.51 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 March as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 55 | 59 | 76 | 84 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 93 | 86 | 69 | 53 |
| Low °F | -30 | -26 | -25 | 7 | 18 | 34 | 42 | 40 | 18 | 5 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
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 state park
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. 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 40 km of First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
National Wildlife Refuge
WaterfallWaterfallLake
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park?
What time is golden hour at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park?
How far is First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park from Sun Prairie?
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.