Located in Elmore County, Idaho, Overlook Mill is a scenic viewpoint at about 2,067 m (6,781 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 84 km (52 mi) WNW of Hailey.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Overlook Mill the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 56° NE | 9:28 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:13 AM | 123° ESE | 5:07 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:41 AM | 8:13 AM | 8:58 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:35 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 55m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Overlook Mill, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:34 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:37 PM – 2:07 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:39 PM – 12:09 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:32 PM – 10:02 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 49 | 54 | 69 | 81 | 91 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 89 | 67 | 51 |
| Low °F | -12 | -4 | 1 | 11 | 22 | 30 | 40 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -9 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 3.6 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
- Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
- Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
- Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Overlook Mill, closest first.
Hot SpringHot Spring
Wilderness Area
National Forest
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakMountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Graham Cabin7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Atlanta Cabin13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Deer Park Cabin15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Alturas Lake Inlet27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Sawtooth National Forest - Grandjean Campground27 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Overlook Mill?
What time is golden hour at Overlook Mill?
Where does the sun rise and set at Overlook Mill?
Can you see the Milky Way from Overlook Mill?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Overlook Mill?
How far is Overlook Mill from Hailey?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.