Located in Denver County, Colorado, Denver Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden at about 1,644 m (5,394 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.2 km (1.4 mi) ESE of Denver.
The Denver Botanic Gardens is a public botanical garden located in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. The 23-acre (93,000 m2) park contains a conservatory, a variety of theme gardens and a sunken amphitheater, which hosts various concerts in the summer.From the Wikipedia article “Denver Botanic Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Denver Botanic Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:39 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Denver Botanic Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.37 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 70 | 73 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 103 | 103 | 102 | 97 | 86 | 77 | 67 |
| Low °F | -2 | -9 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 35 | 49 | 43 | 28 | 8 | -1 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
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 botanical garden
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Denver Botanic Gardens, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Lake
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain Peak
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Denver Botanic Gardens?
What time is golden hour at Denver Botanic Gardens?
Where does the sun rise and set at Denver Botanic Gardens?
Can you see the Milky Way from Denver Botanic Gardens?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Denver Botanic Gardens?
How far is Denver Botanic Gardens from Denver?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.