Black Butte Crater — a volcano in Lincoln County, Idaho at about 1,419 m (4,656 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) N of Shoshone.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Butte Crater the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 56° NE | 9:21 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:07 AM | 122° ESE | 5:06 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:36 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:28 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Black Butte Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:19 AM – 6:09 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:26 AM – 4:06 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:27 PM – 2:17 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:31 PM – 12:11 AM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:26 PM – 10:06 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.89 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 45 | 50 | 63 | 75 | 86 | 94 | 98 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 64 | 45 |
| Low °F | -21 | -16 | -8 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 35 | 33 | 24 | 6 | -29 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
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
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- 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.
- 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 Black Butte Crater, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Butte Crater?
What time is golden hour at Black Butte Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Butte Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Butte Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Butte Crater?
How far is Black Butte Crater from Shoshone?
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.