Platte Canyon — a canyon in Jefferson County, Colorado — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Roxborough Park, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Platte Canyon lies NW of town).
The Platte Canyon is a deep, narrow, scenic gorge on the South Platte River in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The canyon is southwest of Denver in Douglas County The canyon is at the entrance to the mountains, where the South Platte emerges through the Rampart Range through the hogbacks onto Eastern Plains. The lower narrow section is sometimes called Waterton Canyon, referring to Waterton, Colorado.From the Wikipedia article “Platte Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Platte Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Platte Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:47 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:58 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: 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 ≈ 19.27 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 April as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Platte Canyon, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Rock Formation
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Rock Formation
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indian Creek Equestrian Campground10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Rampart Range Recreation Area Designated Dispersed Camping 12.0 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Osprey (Co)16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Flat Rocks Campground17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Ouzel19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Platte Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Platte Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Platte Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Platte Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Platte Canyon?
How far is Platte Canyon from Roxborough Park?
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.