Cains Coulee Overlook — a scenic viewpoint in Dawson County, Montana at about 759 m (2,490 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.5 km (3.4 mi) SSE of Glendive.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cains Coulee Overlook 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 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 53° NE | 8:58 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 125° SE | 4:12 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 30m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:51 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:46 PM | 8h 32m |
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 Cains Coulee Overlook, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:20 AM – 4:10 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:27 AM – 2:57 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:52 PM – 2:02 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:27 PM – 12:57 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 10:53 PM | 0.7 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.33 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 42% 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 | 57 | 66 | 80 | 89 | 94 | 106 | 109 | 108 | 100 | 89 | 72 | 57 |
| Low °F | -25 | -24 | -19 | 3 | 23 | 37 | 48 | 42 | 27 | 6 | -8 | -25 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
- Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Cains Coulee Overlook, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cains Coulee Overlook?
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Can you see the Milky Way from Cains Coulee Overlook?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cains Coulee Overlook?
How far is Cains Coulee Overlook from Glendive?
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.