Located in Lake County, Montana, CSKT Bison Range is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Ronan, about 24 km (15 mi) away (CSKT Bison Range lies SSW of town).
The CSKT Bison Range (BR) is a nature reserve on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana established for the conservation of American bison. Formerly called the National Bison Range, the size of the bison herd at the BR is 350 adult bison and welcomes 50–60 calves per year. Established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1908, the BR consists of approximately 18,524 acres (7,496 ha) within the Montana valley and foothill grasslands. Management of the site was transferred back to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) in 2022 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after more than a century of federal management and nearly two decades of negotiations. The BR has a visitor center, and two scenic roads that allow vehicular access to prime viewing areas. The range is approximately one hour north of Missoula, Montana, off of U.S. Highway 93 directing visitors to the...From the Wikipedia article “CSKT Bison Range”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At CSKT Bison Range 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) | 7:41 AM | 89° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 53° NE | 9:38 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:22 AM | 125° SE | 4:50 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 28m |
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
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:45 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:10 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:48 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:17 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:16 PM | 15h 55m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:09 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:22 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 9:10 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 8h 30m |
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 CSKT Bison Range, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:05 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:00 AM – 4:50 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:08 AM – 3:38 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:35 AM – 2:35 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:09 AM – 1:29 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:53 PM – 11:33 PM | 0.7 | 12° | 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: 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 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 35% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 42 | 51 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 81 | 63 | 41 |
| Low °F | -23 | -35 | -23 | 10 | 22 | 31 | 38 | 37 | 22 | -3 | -15 | -30 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
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 national wildlife refuge
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of CSKT Bison Range, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakWaterfall
National Wildlife RefugeWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph CSKT Bison Range?
What time is golden hour at CSKT Bison Range?
Where does the sun rise and set at CSKT Bison Range?
Can you see the Milky Way from CSKT Bison Range?
Do you need a permit to photograph at CSKT Bison Range?
How far is CSKT Bison Range from Ronan?
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.