Cochetopa Pass — a mountain pass in Saguache County, Colorado at about 3,109 m (10,200 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gunnison, about 51 km (32 mi) away (Cochetopa Pass lies SE of town).
Cochetopa Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado. It lies on the Continental Divide between the city of Gunnison to the northwest and the town of Saguache to the southeast. It also lies on the boundary between the Gunnison and Rio Grande National Forests. Its name is taken from the Cochetopa Hills that it lies within, Cochetopa being the Ute Indian word for "pass of the buffalo". The original pass is traversed by Saguache County Road NN14, a maintained gravel road. Another crossing, sometimes called North Cochetopa Pass and more often simply North Pass, is located nearby on State Highway 114, which is paved and reaches a slightly higher elevation.From the Wikipedia article “Cochetopa Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cochetopa Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:51 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Cochetopa Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 44 | 48 | 63 | 68 | 82 | 86 | 87 | 83 | 82 | 72 | 60 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -25 | -13 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 35 | 34 | 19 | -3 | -21 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Cochetopa Pass, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Upper Crossing Guard Station12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Stone Cellar Guard Station17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Carnero Guard Station25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cochetopa Pass?
What time is golden hour at Cochetopa Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cochetopa Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cochetopa Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cochetopa Pass?
How far is Cochetopa Pass from Gunnison?
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.