Scapegoat Wilderness — a wilderness area in Lewis and Clark County, Montana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 18.4 km (11.4 mi) NNW of Lincoln.
The Scapegoat Wilderness consists of 239,936 acres (971 km2) spread across two different National Forests in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1972, the wilderness is located in the Helena-Lewis and Clark and Lolo National Forests. The Scapegoat Wilderness is a part of the 1.5 million acre (6,070 km2) Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex as it shares a boundary with the Bob Marshall Wilderness, which in turn is connected to the Great Bear Wilderness further north. U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.From the Wikipedia article “Scapegoat Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Scapegoat Wilderness 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 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 89° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 53° NE | 9:31 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:15 AM | 125° SE | 4:44 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:43 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:25 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 04m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:09 PM | 15h 53m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 32m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:16 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 9:03 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:18 PM | 8h 31m |
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 Scapegoat Wilderness, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 5:59 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:52 AM – 4:42 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:59 AM – 3:29 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:24 AM – 2:34 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:59 PM – 1:29 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:45 PM – 11:25 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: 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 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 March as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 53 | 54 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 93 | 99 | 94 | 89 | 82 | 66 | 47 |
| Low °F | -28 | -27 | -25 | 2 | 10 | 29 | 34 | 35 | 9 | -1 | -21 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
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 wilderness area
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Scapegoat Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
National Forest
Mountain PassWaterfallMountain Pass
Ghost TownWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indian Meadows Guard Station10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Grove Group Use Area (Helena-Lewis And Clark Nf, Mt)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cummings Cabin24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Scapegoat Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Scapegoat Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Scapegoat Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Scapegoat Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Scapegoat Wilderness?
How far is Scapegoat Wilderness from Lincoln?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. 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.