Alexander Crater is a volcano in Caribou County, Idaho at about 1,756 m (5,761 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Soda Springs, about 11.9 km (7.4 mi) away (Alexander Crater lies W of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alexander Crater the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 57° ENE | 9:09 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 122° ESE | 4:57 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Alexander Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 5:01 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:13 AM – 4:03 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:24 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:12 PM – 2:02 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 12:09 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:05 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 35 | 43 | 63 | 74 | 83 | 89 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 78 | 61 | 43 |
| Low °F | -24 | -19 | -14 | -6 | 17 | 22 | 35 | 32 | 22 | 2 | -18 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
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 volcano
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Alexander Crater, closest first.
Hot Spring
Ghost Town
National Forest
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eight Mile Guard Station19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Blackfoot Reservoir Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alexander Crater?
What time is golden hour at Alexander Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alexander Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alexander Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alexander Crater?
How far is Alexander Crater from Soda Springs?
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.