Cloud Peak Wilderness is a wilderness area in Big Horn County, Wyoming. The nearest town is Buffalo, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Cloud Peak Wilderness lies W of town).
The Cloud Peak Wilderness is located in north central Wyoming in the United States. Entirely within Bighorn National Forest, the wilderness was established in 1984 in an effort to preserve the wildest section of the Bighorn Mountains. The wilderness has the highest peaks in the Bighorn Mountains, including Cloud Peak and Black Tooth Mountain, as well as Cloud Peak Glacier, the only remaining active glacier in the Bighorn Mountains. The Cloud Peak Wilderness is 189,039 acres (765.01 km2). U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with a 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 “Cloud Peak Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cloud Peak Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 55° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Cloud Peak Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:03 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:25 PM – 2:55 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 5.5+ 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 40% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 39 | 42 | 58 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 90 | 82 | 73 | 57 | 42 |
| Low °F | -34 | -32 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 21 | 33 | 27 | 11 | -15 | -21 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Cloud Peak Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
Fire Lookout
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Lake
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Medicine Lodge Lake Campground14.7 km (9.2 mi)
- West Tensleep Lake15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Hunter Campground19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Circle Park Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Island Park Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cloud Peak Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cloud Peak Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cloud Peak Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cloud Peak Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cloud Peak Wilderness?
How far is Cloud Peak Wilderness from Buffalo?
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.