Located in Larimer County, Colorado, Poudre Canyon is a canyon. The nearest town is Estes Park, about 37 km (23 mi) away (Poudre Canyon lies NNW of town).
The Poudre Canyon is a narrow verdant canyon, approximately 40 miles (64 km) long, on the upper Cache la Poudre River (called the "Poudre" for short, which locals pronounce as "Pooder") in Larimer County, Colorado in the United States. The canyon is a glacier-formed valley through the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains northwest of Fort Collins. The Poudre Canyon is home to many forms of recreation including fishing, hiking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and camping.From the Wikipedia article “Poudre Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Poudre 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:39 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Poudre Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 7:54 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.55 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 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 48 | 65 | 71 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 50 |
| Low °F | -26 | -31 | -15 | -3 | 5 | 27 | 36 | 31 | 19 | -4 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Poudre Canyon, closest first.
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
LakeWaterfall
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bellaire Lake Campground7.5 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Jacks Gulch10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- West Lake11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Redfeather Ranger Station11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Dowdy Lake12.0 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Poudre Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Poudre Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Poudre Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Poudre Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Poudre Canyon?
How far is Poudre Canyon from Estes 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.