Gore Canyon — a canyon in Eagle County, Colorado — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.7 km (7.9 mi) SW of Kremmling.
Gore Canyon, elevation 6,985 feet (2,129 m), is a short isolated canyon on the upper Colorado River in southwestern Grand County, Colorado in the United States. Steep and rugged, the approximately 3-mile-long (4.8 km) gorge was carved by the river as it passed the northern end of the Gore Range southwest of Kremmling. The Colorado descends from approximately 7,300 ft (2,200 m) to approximately 7,000 ft (2,100 m) over the length of the canyon. The steep walls ascend approximately 1,000 ft (300 m) on either side. The canyon effectively marks the southwestern end of the Middle Park basin in north-central Colorado.From the Wikipedia article “Gore Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gore 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 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:39 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Gore 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:30 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 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: 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 ≈ 21.72 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 44% 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 | 36 | 34 | 55 | 61 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -26 | -34 | -23 | -12 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 10 | -7 | -29 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Gore Canyon, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pumphouse Recreation Area369 m · reservable
- Radium Recreation Area6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Lynx Pass Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi)
- Elliott Creek Campground (Co)20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Willows Campground (Co)20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gore Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Gore Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gore Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gore Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gore Canyon?
How far is Gore Canyon from Kremmling?
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.