Crater Hole — a volcano in Owyhee County, Idaho at about 1,614 m (5,295 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 98 km (61 mi) WSW of Twin Falls.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crater Hole 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° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 57° ENE | 9:22 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:08 AM | 122° ESE | 5:14 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:38 AM | 8:09 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:51 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Crater Hole, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 6:12 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:24 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:34 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 12:22 AM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:29 PM – 10:19 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 62 | 66 | 77 | 89 | 100 | 105 | 109 | 105 | 103 | 93 | 75 | 60 |
| Low °F | -11 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 24 | 33 | 46 | 44 | 33 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Crater Hole, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Forks Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi)
- Juniper Grove Campground18.0 km (11.2 mi)
- Big Cottonwood Campground19.5 km (12.1 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crater Hole?
What time is golden hour at Crater Hole?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crater Hole?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crater Hole?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crater Hole?
How far is Crater Hole from Twin Falls?
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.