Dunckley Pass — a mountain pass in Rio Blanco County, Colorado at about 2,977 m (9,767 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hayden, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Dunckley Pass lies SSE of town).
Dunckley Pass is a high mountain pass in The Flat Tops mountains of western Colorado. Rio Blanco County Road 8, a gravel road, traverses the pass, which divides the watersheds of East Fork Williams Fork and Fish Creek. The pass, part of the Flat Tops Trail Scenic and Historic Byway, is accessible to passenger cars, but only seasonally, generally from late May to October. The Dunckley Pass Overlook Picnic Site, near the actual pass, provides views of The Flat Tops.From the Wikipedia article “Dunckley Pass”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dunckley 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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 121° ESE | 4:47 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 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 Dunckley 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 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 | 5:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 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 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 51 | 54 | 68 | 76 | 89 | 92 | 94 | 93 | 87 | 76 | 64 | 50 |
| Low °F | -25 | -36 | -10 | 4 | 15 | 28 | 38 | 36 | 24 | -2 | -13 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
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.
- 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 Dunckley Pass, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Waterfall
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cold Springs Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi)
- Shepherds Rim Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dunckley Pass?
What time is golden hour at Dunckley Pass?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dunckley Pass?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dunckley Pass?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dunckley Pass?
How far is Dunckley Pass from Hayden?
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.