Northgate Canyon — a canyon in Jackson County, Colorado — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 70 km (44 mi) NE of Steamboat Springs.
Northgate Canyon is the 9.8-mile (15.8 km) long stretch of the North Platte River between Routt Access (Colorado) and Six-Mile Gap (Wyoming).From the Wikipedia article “Northgate Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Northgate 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Northgate Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:58 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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.
- 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)
- Sage Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi)
- Keystone Ranger Station21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Big Creek Lakes Campground23 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Spruce Mtn Fire Lookout Tower25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- French Creek Campground (Wy)28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Northgate Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Northgate Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Northgate Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Northgate Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Northgate Canyon?
How far is Northgate Canyon from Steamboat Springs?
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.