Rock Springs is a city of about 23,962 people in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, at 1,947 m (6,388 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:29 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:51 PM – 6:47 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 | 7:42 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:37 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 11m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rock Springs
At Rock Springs the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rock Springs
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rock Springs. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State ParkLakes
Mountain Peaks
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rock Springs is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Point of Rocks Stage Station State Historic Site, about 36 km (22 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point of Rocks Stage Station State Historic Site | State Park | 36 km (22 mi) | 1 |
| Boars Tusk | Rock Formation | 42 km (26 mi) | 1 |
| Table Rock | Ghost Town | 68 km (42 mi) | 1 |
| Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 87 km (54 mi) | 1 |
| South Pass | Mountain Pass | 90 km (56 mi) | 1 |
| South Pass City | Ghost Town | 103 km (64 mi) | 1 |
| Upper Disaster Falls | Waterfall | 107 km (66 mi) | 1 |
| Lower Disaster Falls | Waterfall | 107 km (67 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 2:47 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 10:53 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.