Located in Powell County, Montana, The Crater is a volcano at about 1,832 m (6,010 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Deer Lodge, about 19.8 km (12.3 mi) away (The Crater lies WNW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The Crater the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 89° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 54° NE | 9:29 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:13 AM | 124° SE | 4:48 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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 | 8:12 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 00m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:25 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:22 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:17 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 9:01 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 36m |
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 The Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:49 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:51 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:46 AM – 3:36 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:16 AM – 2:46 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:54 PM – 1:34 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:43 PM – 11:33 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:29 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 36% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 48 | 52 | 69 | 76 | 86 | 92 | 98 | 94 | 88 | 81 | 66 | 45 |
| Low °F | -25 | -28 | -28 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 34 | 31 | 20 | -4 | -25 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- 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 The Crater, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Doney Cabin1.7 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- Douglas Creek Cabin12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Racetrack Cabin18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph The Crater?
What time is golden hour at The Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at The Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from The Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at The Crater?
How far is The Crater from Deer Lodge?
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.