Tower Rock State Park is a state park in Cascade County, Montana. It sits roughly 46 km (29 mi) SSW of Sun Prairie. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Tower Rock State Park is a state park near the community of Cascade in the U.S. state of Montana in the United States. The centerpiece of the park is Tower Rock, a 424-foot (129 m)-high rock formation which marks the entrance to the Missouri River Canyon in the Adel Mountains Volcanic Field. It was well known to Native Americans, and considered a sacred place by the Piegan Blackfeet. Tower Rock received its current name when Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition visited the site in 1805. Railroad and highway development in the late 1800s and 1900s skirted Tower Rock, but the landform itself remained pristine. The 87.2 acres (0.353 km2) encompassing Tower Rock was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 18, 2002. The 140-acre (0.57 km2) Tower Rock State Park was created around the National Historic Site in 2004.From the Wikipedia article “Tower Rock State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tower Rock 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) | 7:31 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 53° NE | 9:28 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:12 AM | 125° SE | 4:41 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:28 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:12 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 9:00 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 31m |
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 Tower Rock State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| 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 | 3:50 AM – 4:40 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:58 AM – 3:28 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:25 AM – 2:25 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:59 PM – 1:19 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:43 PM – 11:23 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 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 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
- 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.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Tower Rock State Park, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
National Forest
Wilderness Area
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Holter Lake Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Holter Dam Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Log Gulch Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tower Rock State Park?
What time is golden hour at Tower Rock State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tower Rock State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tower Rock State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tower Rock State Park?
How far is Tower Rock 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.