Located in Boulder County, Colorado, Caribou is a ghost town at about 3,039 m (9,970 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Nederland, about 6.2 km (3.9 mi) away (Caribou lies WNW of town).
Caribou is an extinct silver mining town located near Nederland in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. It was named after the nearby Caribou silver mine. The unincorporated community of Caribou City and the former Caribou Ranch recording studio are located 3.6 miles (5.8 km) east of the ghost town.From the Wikipedia article “Caribou, Colorado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Caribou 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 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Caribou, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:26 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.92 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 44% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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 ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Caribou, closest first.
Canyon
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Wilderness AreaMountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rainbow Lakes Campground3.3 km (2.0 mi)
- Kelly Dahl8.8 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Pickle Gulch16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Pawnee16.8 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Cold Springs - Arapaho Roosevelt Nf (Co)17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Caribou?
What time is golden hour at Caribou?
Where does the sun rise and set at Caribou?
Can you see the Milky Way from Caribou?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Caribou?
How far is Caribou from Nederland?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.