Fort Owen State Park is a state park in Ravalli County, Montana. The nearest town is Stevensville, about 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away (Fort Owen State Park lies NNW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Owen State Park is a historic preservation area owned by the state of Montana in the United States, located on the northern outskirts of the town of Stevensville, Montana. The park is named for Fort Owen, a mission and later trading post established in 1841 and named for trader John Owen. The park is one acre (0.40 ha) in size, 3,293 feet (1,004 m) in elevation, and is owned and managed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Fort Owen is known as the "cradle of Montana civilization".From the Wikipedia article “Fort Owen State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Owen State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 54° NE | 9:34 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:18 AM | 124° SE | 4:52 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 34m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:05 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:50 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:19 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:32 PM | 10:11 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:22 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:39 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:05 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 8h 36m |
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 Fort Owen State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:53 AM – 6:03 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:55 AM – 4:55 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:50 AM – 3:40 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:20 AM – 2:50 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:58 PM – 1:38 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:47 PM – 11:37 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:33 PM – 9:33 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 65 | 71 | 81 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 89 | 80 | 63 | 41 |
| Low °F | -26 | -36 | -25 | 3 | 14 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 20 | -11 | -14 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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 state park
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Fort Owen State Park, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
National Forest
Fire Lookout
WaterfallWaterfall
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Charles Waters Campground7.0 km (4.4 mi)
- Larry Creek Group Camp7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Gold Creek Campground20 km (13 mi)
- Blodgett Campground30 km (19 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Owen State Park?
What time is golden hour at Fort Owen State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Owen State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Owen State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Owen State Park?
How far is Fort Owen State Park from Stevensville?
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.