Casper is a city of about 60,285 people in Natrona County, Wyoming, at 1,560 m (5,118 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 PM – 6:34 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 | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Casper
At Casper the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Casper
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of Casper. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
Natural Arches
Mountain Peaks
Hot Springs
National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Casper is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Alcova Hot Springs, about 49 km (31 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcova Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 49 km (31 mi) | 1 |
| Little Medicine Falls | Waterfall | 54 km (34 mi) | 1 |
| Wagon Hound Falls | Waterfall | 64 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 69 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Hole-in-the-Wall | Mountain Pass | 86 km (54 mi) | 1 |
| Devil's Gate | Canyon | 87 km (54 mi) | 1 |
| Laramie Peak | Mountain Peak | 98 km (61 mi) | 1 |
| Seminoe State Park | State Park | 101 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:41 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| June | 11:02 PM – 3:02 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:50 PM – 1:40 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:43 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% 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.