Fountain is a city of about 27,767 people in El Paso County, Colorado, at 1,690 m (5,545 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:14 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:31 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Fountain
At Fountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Fountain
36 photo locations lie within 80 km of Fountain. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Mountain Peaks
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Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Fountain is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Spanish Peaks, about 147 km (91 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Peaks | Mountain Peak | 147 km (91 mi) | 1 |
| West Spanish Peak | Mountain Peak | 148 km (92 mi) | 1 |
| Cordova Pass | Mountain Pass | 151 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Twin Peaks Window | Natural Arch | 152 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Picture Window | Natural Arch | 152 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Window Rock | Natural Arch | 152 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Cucharas Pass | Mountain Pass | 155 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| John Martin Reservoir State Park | State Park | 168 km (105 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:12 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.2 | 22° |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.