Located in Grand County, Colorado, Shadow Mountain Lookout is a fire lookout. It lies in or next to Rocky Mountain National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 19.2 km (11.9 mi) NNE of Granby. It dates from 1932. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Shadow Mountain Lookout, also known as the Shadow Mountain Patrol Cabin, was built in Rocky Mountain National Park in 1932, to the design of the National Park Service San Francisco Landscape Architecture Division. It was regarded as one of the best National Park Service Rustic buildings in the national park system. It is now the only fire lookout surviving in Rocky Mountain National Park. Three other lookouts, now gone, were located at Twin Sisters Peak, the north fork of the Thompson River and near Long's Peak. The lookout was built by Civilian Conservation Corps labor.From the Wikipedia article “Shadow Mountain Lookout”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Shadow Mountain Lookout 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (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 | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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
Lookouts are built for 360° views, so sunrise and sunset are both options — use the azimuths to decide which view you want.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Shadow Mountain Lookout, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | 5:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.2 | 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 ≈ 21.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 fire lookout
- Haze from wildfire smoke can turn the sun deep red but reduce visibility; check air quality.
- Access roads may be rough or seasonal.
- Some lookouts can be rented overnight through recreation.gov, which puts you on site for both sunset and sunrise.
- Shoot the tower itself against the Milky Way or star trails on clear, moonless nights.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Summer and early autumn; many towers are staffed only during fire season.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Warm layers. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Shadow Mountain Lookout, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Green Ridge3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Aa Bar Ranch (Aa Barn) Group Picnic Site3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Cutthroat Bay Group6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Stillwater (Colorado)8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Sunset Point Campground10.8 km (6.7 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Shadow Mountain Lookout?
What time is golden hour at Shadow Mountain Lookout?
Where does the sun rise and set at Shadow Mountain Lookout?
Can you see the Milky Way from Shadow Mountain Lookout?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Shadow Mountain Lookout?
How far is Shadow Mountain Lookout from Granby?
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.