Parker is a city of about 49,550 people in Douglas County, Colorado, at 1,789 m (5,869 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 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 | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 24m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Parker
At Parker 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.
Best photo spots near Parker
65 photo locations lie within 80 km of Parker. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNatural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Parker is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, about 130 km (81 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Peaks Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Columbia | Mountain Peak | 149 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Princeton Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 149 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Oxford | Mountain Peak | 149 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Harvard | Mountain Peak | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Hortense Hot Spring | Hot Spring | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Bedrock Falls | Waterfall | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Vicksburg | Ghost Town | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 18° |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 21° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:46 AM | 3.5 | 22° |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:57 PM | 2.3 | 21° |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 18° |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.2 | 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 (57%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.