Located in Montrose County, Colorado, Montrose Botanic Gardens is a botanical garden at about 1,792 m (5,879 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 2.6 km (1.6 mi) SE of Montrose.
The Montrose Botanic Gardens are located at 1800 Pavilion Drive, Montrose, Colorado, south of the Montrose Pavilion. While in the gardens, you can view the San Juan Mountains to the south. The Gardens are 3.5 acres of which a little over 1 acre is developed. A Master Plan is in-place to develop the Gardens fully over the coming years. A few picnic tables and benches under shade are scattered around the developed area. Open dawn to dusk. Free entry, but donations are always appreciated. Note that dogs are NOT allowed.From the Wikipedia article “Montrose Botanic Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Montrose Botanic Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 59° ENE | 8:39 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:55 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 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
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 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 Montrose Botanic Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.41 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 52 | 66 | 72 | 87 | 92 | 93 | 88 | 86 | 76 | 64 | 51 |
| Low °F | -21 | -15 | -8 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 22 | 1 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Montrose Botanic Gardens, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground17.3 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison North Rim Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
- East Portal Campground18.9 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- East Portal Campground18.9 km (11.8 mi)
- Cimarron Campground26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
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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.