Moon Phase Today Billings

Moon Phase Today Billings: New Moon

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the moon in Billings is a New Moon with 0% illumination. Moon age: 28.9 days.

Illumination
0%
Moon Age
28.9d
Next Full Moon
Oct 25
Distance
--
☽ Moonrise
6:27 AM
↑ Highest
—
☾ Moonset
6:07 PM

check-the-moon-in-billings, monyana

☽ Best Places to View the Moon in Billings, MT

Billings sits in the Yellowstone River valley, ringed by the sandstone Rimrocks that tower up to 500 feet above the city — genuine elevation most of the cities on this site simply don't have. The date and your observing location together determine the moon's rise time and direction; your viewpoint determines how much of that horizon is actually unobstructed. Here are six Billings locations that offer different ways to experience or photograph the moon.

1

Swords Rimrock Park & Black Otter Trail

A 60-acre park atop the Rims, often called the "gateway" to Billings, with paved trails along the Black Otter Trail — a scenic roadway built in 1936 under a WPA New Deal program — offering broad views across the city, the Yellowstone River valley, and five mountain ranges (the Pryors, Big Horns, Bulls, Crazies, and Absaroka-Beartooths) on a clear day. Free and open as public parkland; no posted gate hours were found, so check current signage before a late visit. Address: Swords Park Dr.

2

Zimmerman Park

A Yellowstone County park just west of Swords Rimrock Park, with rougher, rockier dirt trails climbing the same Rims. Check current park hours before planning a post-sunset visit rather than assuming unrestricted access. Near Zimmerman Trail.

3

Riverfront Park

A riverside park along the Yellowstone River with Lake Josephine near its center and open views back toward the Rimrocks — its still water can make it useful for a moon-and-reflection composition. Check current park hours before planning a post-sunset visit. Address: near State Secondary Hwy 416.

4

Coulson Park

A 50-plus-acre riverside park on the site of Coulson, a railroad-era settlement that predated the city of Billings, sitting across the Yellowstone from Sacrifice Cliff. It remains a largely undeveloped natural area today, even as city master-plan proposals for its future continue to be discussed — expect informal trails and minimal infrastructure as things currently stand. Near I-90 and the Yellowstone Bridge.

5

Pictograph Cave State Park

A 23-acre state park with three sandstone caves containing pictographs over 2,000 years old, plus a short loop trail and visitor center. This one is genuinely gated and day-use only, with seasonal hours that shift each spring and fall — check the current FWP schedule before visiting, and note a day-use fee applies for non-residents. It suits an early-evening visit rather than an actual moonrise. Address: 3401 Coburn Rd.

6

Historic Montana Avenue

Downtown Billings' restored 1880s railroad-era district, home to the Western Heritage Center museum by day and a walkable strip of restaurants and bars that can keep portions of the street active into the evening. A convenient, well-lit urban option if you'd rather not drive up onto the Rims after dark. Near Montana Ave & N 27th St.

◉ Best Times for Moon Photography

🌕 Full Moon ±1 day — brightest phase, though not necessarily the most photogenic for every landmark shot
🌔 Days before full — the moon generally rises later each evening as full approaches, eventually rising around sunset at full moon, though the exact timing varies with the date and season
🧭 Landmark alignments — the moon generally rises somewhere along the eastern half of the horizon, but its exact rising azimuth shifts substantially with the date and your latitude, so check the exact date and viewpoint rather than assuming it will rise due east

📷 Quick Photography Tips

🎯Use a sturdy tripod, particularly on the exposed Rimrocks or in windy conditions
📷Shoot RAW and expose for the moon — it's much brighter than the surrounding city lights, river, or rock face
📏Looney 11 rule — a useful starting point for a bright full moon: f/11, ISO 100, 1/100s, then check your histogram and adjust for phase, atmospheric conditions, and your equipment
🌕Low on the horizon, the moon can look strikingly large — that's the well-known "moon illusion," a perceptual effect rather than an actual change in angular size. A telephoto lens doesn't make the moon physically larger or change its angular size relative to the foreground; instead, a long lens lets you tightly frame a distant moon and a distant foreground together, and moving farther from that foreground can make the moon appear larger relative to it in the resulting composition
❄️Check the forecast for wind and, in winter, genuine cold — the Rims are exposed and can be considerably windier and colder than downtown
🕐 Timezone

Billings runs on Mountain Time — MST (UTC−7) in winter and MDT (UTC−6) in summer, following the standard U.S. daylight saving schedule. PhotoPills or Stellarium will handle the moon's exact rise azimuth for any of these spots automatically, as long as your device's clock is correct.

Enjoy the moon over Billings — a genuine sandstone rim towering over the valley, a river running below it, and a restored downtown district holding its own after dark.

The moon phase today in Billings is shown in detail above — complete with exact illumination percentage, moonrise/set times, and the best local spots to see it. For the moon phase today in any other city worldwide, visit our Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the home page.

◐ What the Experience Actually Feels Like

Up on Swords Rimrock Park, the elevation creates a dramatically different perspective from most city viewpoints on this site — broad views across Billings, the Yellowstone River valley, and the mountain ranges on the horizon if the air is clear. It's the closest thing to a true overlook that a flat prairie city could ask for.

Down at Riverfront Park, the mood is quieter and closer to the water — Lake Josephine reflecting whatever light's available, the Rims visible as a dark silhouette rather than something you're standing on. It trades the elevation of the Rimrock spots for the calm of a lakeside evening.

Along Historic Montana Avenue, restaurant and bar patios keep the street lit and occupied well after the Western Heritage Center itself has closed for the day, without any of the elevation-related planning the Rimrock spots require.

"Up on Swords Rimrock Park, the elevation creates a dramatically different perspective from most city viewpoints — the closest thing to a true overlook that a flat prairie city could ask for."

✓ Your Billings Moon Chase Checklist

Before You Go

  • Check the moonrise time and rise azimuth for your date — the date and your observing location together determine the moon's rise time and direction, while your viewpoint determines how much of that horizon is unobstructed
  • Verify Site Access: Pictograph Cave State Park is day-use only with seasonal hours that shift each spring and fall — check the current FWP schedule, and check current hours at Swords Rimrock Park, Zimmerman Park, and Riverfront Park too before planning a post-sunset visit, particularly in winter
  • Use PhotoPills or Stellarium to check whether the moon will align with a specific landmark on your date
  • Check the forecast for wind and cold on the exposed Rimrocks, which can differ noticeably from conditions down in the valley
  • Confirm current rules on tripods and photography at your chosen venue, especially for anything beyond personal use

What to Bring

  • A telephoto lens, often 200mm or longer, can help frame the moon tightly with the city skyline from a Rimrock overlook
  • Genuinely warm layers outside of summer — Montana winters run cold, and the exposed Rims feel colder still
  • A remote shutter release or a 2-second timer to avoid shake on tripod shots
  • Spare batteries, particularly for long sessions or extended time outdoors
  • A flashlight or headlamp for trails and park areas after dark

On the Night

  • As a general recommendation, arrive at your viewpoint at least 30–45 minutes early, especially at the more popular Swords Rimrock Park pullouts
  • Focus manually on the moon's surface detail or terminator (the light/dark boundary) — city lighting can confuse autofocus at dusk
  • Bracket your exposures — one for the bright lunar disc, one for the darker cliff face, river, or valley below
  • If the moon looks soft or hazy right at moonrise, consider waiting until it climbs higher above the horizon, when atmospheric effects are often less pronounced
  • Stay well back from the cliff edges on the Rimrock trails — footing can be uneven and the drop is real, especially in low light
The moon over Billings moves between two very different stages — the genuine height and open drop of a sandstone rim overlooking the whole valley, and the quieter, lamplit pace of a restored downtown avenue below it. Use the tools on this page, pick your vantage point, and catch a Billings moonrise for yourself.

? Billings Moon Phase — Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the moon phase today in Billings, Montana?

The moon phase today in Billings is a New Moon with 0% illumination. The next full moon is in 17 days, on Oct 25. Moonrise is at 6:27 AM and moonset at 6:07 PM.

Q. Where is the best place to view the moon in Billings?

For genuine elevation, Swords Rimrock Park and the Black Otter Trail sit atop the sandstone Rimrocks, which tower up to 500 feet above the city, with broad views across Billings, the Yellowstone River valley and five mountain ranges on a clear day. Zimmerman Park climbs the same Rims on rougher dirt trails. Down in the valley, Riverfront Park and its Lake Josephine suit a moon-and-reflection composition with the Rims as a dark backdrop, and Coulson Park is a largely undeveloped riverside natural area. Historic Montana Avenue is a well-lit urban option, and Pictograph Cave State Park suits an early-evening visit.

Q. Where does the moon rise and set in Billings, and how high does it climb?

At about 45.8°N, Billings' moonrise and moonset points swing across the horizon each month, from roughly northeast to southeast for rising and northwest to southwest for setting. A winter full moon climbs high in the south, to roughly 68° above the horizon, while a summer full moon stays lower, peaking near 21°. Billings sits in the Yellowstone River valley ringed by the Rimrocks, so from valley spots the Rims can block part of the horizon, while from the rim tops you look out over the city and valley toward the Pryors, Big Horns, Bulls, Crazies and Absaroka-Beartooths. Check the azimuth for your date and exact viewpoint.

Q. Is light pollution a problem for moon observing in Billings?

The moon is bright enough to observe and photograph from almost anywhere in Billings, so light pollution rarely limits the lunar disc itself. It does wash out earthshine on a thin crescent and any faint sky detail. The Rimrock overlooks look out over the city lights, which makes a dramatic backdrop but can confuse autofocus at dusk, so focus manually on the moon's surface detail or terminator. Coulson Park remains a largely undeveloped natural area by the river, while Historic Montana Avenue is lit and active into the evening.

Q. What camera settings and phases work best for moon photography in Billings?

For a full moon, start with Looney 11 (f/11, ISO 100, 1/100 s) and refine using your histogram, since it is a baseline rather than a guarantee. The moon is much brighter than the surrounding city lights, river or rock face, so shoot RAW and bracket or blend exposures to keep both crater detail and the foreground. A full moon rises around sunset, and the days before full see it rise later each evening. A 200 mm or longer lens helps frame the moon tightly with the city skyline from a Rimrock overlook, and a sturdy tripod with a remote release or 2-second timer helps on the exposed Rims. PhotoPills or Stellarium can check whether the moon will line up with a landmark on your date.

Q. How do Montana wind and cold affect moon viewing on the Rimrocks in Billings?

The Rims are exposed and can be considerably windier and colder than downtown, so check the forecast for wind and, in winter, genuine cold, and bring warm layers outside of summer. A sturdy tripod helps, and cold can drain camera batteries faster, so carry spares. If the moon looks soft or hazy right at moonrise, wait until it climbs higher above the horizon, when atmospheric effects are often less pronounced. Stay well back from the cliff edges on the Rimrock trails, since footing can be uneven and the drop is real, especially in low light.

Q. Can I visit Billings' moon viewpoints after dark?

Access varies by site. Pictograph Cave State Park is day-use only with seasonal hours that shift each spring and fall, so check the current FWP schedule, and a day-use fee applies for non-residents. No posted gate hours were found for Swords Rimrock Park, and Zimmerman Park and Riverfront Park should be checked too, particularly in winter, so confirm current signage before a post-sunset visit. Coulson Park is a largely undeveloped natural area with informal trails and minimal infrastructure. Historic Montana Avenue's restaurants and bars keep their own hours.