Cordova Pass is a mountain pass in Las Animas County, Colorado at about 3,432 m (11,260 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 38 km (23 mi) SW of Walsenburg.
Cordova Pass (11,260 feet (3,430 meters)) in southern Colorado lies on the western shoulder of the West Spanish Peak, east of the Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the Western United States. Cordova Pass lies just outside the Spanish Peaks Wilderness, a designated Wilderness Area in the San Isabel National Forest. Cordova Pass is reached via the Apishapa Road, a leg of the Scenic Highway of Legends (a designated Colorado and National Forest Service scenic byway). As the National Forest Service does not usually plow the snow, Cordova Pass is normally not accessible from mid-November to late May. Most of the time, the pass may be traversed by passenger vehicles.From the Wikipedia article “Cordova Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cordova Pass the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:25 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:47 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Cordova Pass, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 4:06 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 54 | 60 | 69 | 75 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 88 | 80 | 68 | 57 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -3 | 13 | 18 | 30 | 43 | 40 | 21 | 11 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Summit pull-outs often face one direction; use the sun azimuth table to see whether sunrise or sunset suits the view.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Cordova Pass, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassWilderness Area
Natural ArchMountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cordova Pass23 m · reservable
- Bear Lake Campground (Co)10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Blue Lake Campground - San Isabel Nf (Co)10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Purgatoire Campground13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cordova Pass?
What time is golden hour at Cordova Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cordova Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cordova Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cordova Pass?
How far is Cordova Pass from Walsenburg?
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.