Located in Grand County, Colorado, Buchanan Pass is a mountain pass at about 3,610 m (11,844 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Nederland, about 21 km (13 mi) away (Buchanan Pass lies NNW of town).
Buchanan Pass, elevation 11,844 ft (3,610 m), is a mountain pass located in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado in the United States. The pass is toward the northern end of the Indian Peaks of the Front Range on the Grand-Boulder county line, between the Buchanan Creek drainage to the west and the Middle St. Vrain Creek drainage to the east. It is traversed by the Buchanan Pass Trail which travels from its junction with the Cascade Creek Trail on the west to the Camp Dick campground on the east, close to Peaceful Valley. The pass is in the Indian Peaks Wilderness of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and is the easternmost mountain pass on the continental divide.From the Wikipedia article “Buchanan Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Buchanan 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 26° 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 | 8:36 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 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 | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 45m |
| 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 | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Buchanan 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 | — | -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: 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 ≈ 21.15 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Buchanan Pass, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Lake
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pawnee5.4 km (3.3 mi) · reservable
- Camp Dick9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Peaceful Valley10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Arapaho Bay10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Olive Ridge12.6 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Buchanan Pass?
What time is golden hour at Buchanan Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Buchanan Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Buchanan Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Buchanan Pass?
How far is Buchanan Pass 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.