Located in Dawson County, Montana, Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point is a scenic viewpoint at about 762 m (2,500 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) SE of Glendive.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point 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 | 7:12 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 | 4:58 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 Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point, 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 ≈ 21.49 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point?
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Where does the sun rise and set at Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point?
How far is Pine-On-Rocks Vista Point 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.