Bald Mountain is a mountain peak in Summit County, Colorado at about 4,157 m (13,638 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 7.3 km (4.5 mi) SE of Breckenridge.
Bald Mountain is a high and prominent mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,690-foot (4,173 m) thirteener is located in White River National Forest, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) southeast (bearing 135°) of the Town of Breckenridge in Summit County, Colorado, United States. It may be reached by a technically-undemanding though long and roundabout route from Breckenridge, initially through forest and then open country; though as for all mountains of this elevation, altitude sickness is a potential danger as well as afternoon thunderstorms. Extensive views of the surrounding area may be enjoyed from the summit on a clear day.From the Wikipedia article “Bald Mountain (Summit County, Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bald Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Bald Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.29 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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 peak
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bald Mountain, closest first.
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost TownScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Michigan Creek8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Selkirk8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Jefferson Creek9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Lodgepole (Jefferson Lake, Fairplay Colorado)10.7 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Aspen (Co)11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bald Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Bald Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bald Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bald Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bald Mountain?
How far is Bald Mountain from Breckenridge?
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.