Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is a state park in Gallatin County, Montana. The nearest town is Manhattan, about 12.2 km (7.6 mi) away (Madison Buffalo Jump State Park lies SW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is a Montana state park located seven miles south of the Interstate 90 interchange at Logan in Gallatin County, Montana in the United States. The park preserves a canyon cliff used by Native Americans as a buffalo jump, where herds of bison were stampeded over the cliff as an efficient means of slaughter. The main geographic features of the jump site remain largely unchanged since the days of the jumps. Archaeologists have found tons of bison bones buried at the base of the cliffs. They have also uncovered the remains of tipi villages.From the Wikipedia article “Madison Buffalo Jump State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Madison Buffalo Jump 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 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 54° NE | 9:20 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:05 AM | 124° SE | 4:45 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 40m |
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 | 7:30 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:51 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 42m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:11 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:51 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Madison Buffalo Jump State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:32 AM – 4:42 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:33 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:58 PM – 2:48 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:39 PM – 1:39 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:33 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:21 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.83 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 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 | 42 | 48 | 62 | 72 | 82 | 89 | 98 | 94 | 88 | 79 | 62 | 45 |
| Low °F | -28 | -35 | -21 | -4 | 12 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 21 | -3 | -27 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
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.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- 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 Madison Buffalo Jump State Park, closest first.
State Park
Hot SpringHot Spring
Cave
Ghost Town
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Madison Buffalo Jump State Park?
What time is golden hour at Madison Buffalo Jump State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Madison Buffalo Jump State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Madison Buffalo Jump State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Madison Buffalo Jump State Park?
How far is Madison Buffalo Jump State Park from Manhattan?
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.