Located in Boulder County, Colorado, Arapaho Pass is a mountain pass at about 3,629 m (11,906 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 14.2 km (8.8 mi) ENE of Fraser.
Arapaho Pass, elevation 11,906 ft (3,629 m), is a mountain pass that crosses the Continental Divide in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Arapaho Pass (Front Range)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arapaho Pass 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) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:36 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 19m |
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
Mountain passes sit above valleys, so they reward sunrise and sunset with layered ridges, valley fog and long shadows.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 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 Arapaho Pass, 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 | 5:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 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 ≈ 21.16 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 mountain pass
- Check road status before driving: many high passes close seasonally or after storms.
- Look for the road itself as a leading line — switchbacks from above make strong compositions.
- Weather changes fast at elevation; carry layers even in summer.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Wildflowers bloom late at pass elevations — often July to early August in the Rockies and Sierra.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer and early autumn are the main season; winter visits depend on plowing and avalanche conditions.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Warm layers, Road-condition app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Arapaho Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Glacier
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rainbow Lakes Campground9.3 km (5.8 mi)
- Arapaho Bay13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Idlewild Campground14.9 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Pawnee16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Midland Group Campground17.8 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arapaho Pass?
What time is golden hour at Arapaho Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arapaho Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arapaho Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arapaho Pass?
How far is Arapaho Pass from Fraser?
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.