Byers Canyon — a canyon in Grand County, Colorado — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 16.6 km (10.3 mi) W of Granby.
Byers Canyon is a short gorge on the upper Colorado River in Grand County, Colorado in the United States. The canyon is approximately 8 miles (13 km) long and is located in the headwaters region of the Colorado between Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling. U.S. Highway 40 passes through the canyon between Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling. The Union Pacific Railroad's Moffat Route also travels through the short canyon. The Byers Canyon Shooting Range is part of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Hot Sulphur Springs State Wildlife Area within the canyon providing a winter foraging area for big game animals.From the Wikipedia article “Byers Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Byers Canyon 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Byers Canyon, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.61 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 37 | 34 | 60 | 67 | 81 | 87 | 88 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 58 | 45 |
| Low °F | -26 | -40 | -21 | -14 | 1 | 22 | 33 | 31 | 20 | -5 | -22 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
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 canyon
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Willow Creek Group17.3 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Sunset Point Campground23 km (15 mi)
- Stillwater (Colorado)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Cow Creek South24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Cow Creek North (Co)25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Byers Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Byers Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Byers Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Byers Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Byers Canyon?
How far is Byers Canyon from Granby?
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.