Bard Peak in Clear Creek County, Colorado as seen from Mount Parnassus,
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39.7203° N105.8040° W4,159 mBortle 3Denver

Bard Peak Photography Guide

Mountain Peak in Clear Creek County, Colorado · 4,159 m (13,645 ft)

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 240°–302°
  • Clearest: September
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: Xnatedawgx · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Bard Peak is a mountain peak in Clear Creek County, Colorado at about 4,159 m (13,645 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.2 km (5.7 mi) W of Georgetown.

Bard Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,647-foot (4,160 m) thirteener is located in Arapaho National Forest, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west-northwest (bearing 293°) of the Town of Silver Plume in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Bard Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elevation
4,159 m
13,645 ft
Nearest town
Georgetown
9.2 km (5.7 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
September
44% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.8 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:49 PM
sunset 6:25 PM

Light at Bard Peak

Live
Sunrise
7:19 AM
Sunset
6:18 PM
Golden hour AM
7:02 AM – 7:56 AM
Golden hour PM
5:41 PM – 6:35 PM
Blue hour AM
6:52 AM – 7:02 AM
Blue hour PM
6:35 PM – 6:45 PM
Full darkness
7:48 PM – 5:50 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:33 PM / 1:23 AM
Day length
10h 59m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Denver. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Bard Peak 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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:07 AM90° E7:15 PM271° W50°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:36 AM58° ENE8:35 PM302° WNW74°14h 59m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:52 AM89° E7:02 PM271° W51°12h 10m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:21 AM121° ESE4:43 PM240° WSW27°9h 21m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January6:53 AM7:23 AM8:04 AM4:22 PM5:03 PM5:33 PM9h 40m
February6:29 AM6:57 AM7:34 AM5:02 PM5:40 PM6:08 PM10h 43m
March6:49 AM7:16 AM7:51 AM6:35 PM7:10 PM7:37 PM11h 55m
April5:58 AM6:26 AM7:02 AM7:05 PM7:41 PM8:09 PM13h 15m
May5:19 AM5:50 AM6:28 AM7:33 PM8:11 PM8:42 PM14h 22m
June5:03 AM5:36 AM6:16 AM7:53 PM8:34 PM9:06 PM14h 58m
July5:17 AM5:48 AM6:28 AM7:52 PM8:31 PM9:03 PM14h 43m
August5:47 AM6:16 AM6:53 AM7:24 PM8:01 PM8:30 PM13h 45m
September6:18 AM6:45 AM7:21 AM6:38 PM7:14 PM7:41 PM12h 28m
October6:47 AM7:14 AM7:50 AM5:49 PM6:25 PM6:52 PM11h 11m
November6:20 AM6:49 AM7:28 AM4:09 PM4:49 PM5:18 PM10h 00m
December6:48 AM7:18 AM8:01 AM3:58 PM4:41 PM5:11 PM9h 23m

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 Bard Peak, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-3°—
February5:10 AM – 5:20 AM0.211°SE → SE
March4:20 AM – 5:40 AM1.318°SE → SSE
April2:18 AM – 4:48 AM2.521°SE → S
May12:21 AM – 3:51 AM3.521°SE → S
June10:35 PM – 3:25 AM4.821°SE → SSW
July10:27 PM – 2:07 AM3.721°S → SW
August9:42 PM – 12:02 AM2.321°S → SW
September8:45 PM – 10:05 PM1.318°SSW → SW
October7:55 PM – 8:05 PM0.212°SW → SW
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—0°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 21.3 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 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F464764688186878582736249
Low °F-21-30-20-8423343116-6-14-21
Precip. (in)1.21.61.82.42.31.42.42.01.61.41.21.3

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

  • 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.
  • Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
  • Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
  • Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.

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 Bard Peak, closest first.

Engelmann PeakMountain Peak
Engelmann Peak2.8 km away · Clear Creek County · 4,077 m
BakervilleGhost Town
Bakerville3.2 km away · Clear Creek County
Mount SniktauMountain Peak
Mount Sniktau6.5 km away · Clear Creek County · 4,029 m
Mountain Pass
Vasquez Pass7.8 km away · Clear Creek County · 3,564 m
Torreys PeakMountain Peak
Torreys Peak8.7 km away · Clear Creek County · 4,339 m
Berthoud PassMountain Pass
Berthoud Pass8.9 km away · Clear Creek County · 3,452 m
Loveland PassMountain Pass
Loveland Pass9.0 km away · Summit County · 3,656 m
Mountain Pass
Jones Pass (Colorado)9.4 km away · Grand County · 3,796 m
Grays PeakMountain Peak
Grays Peak9.7 km away · Clear Creek County · 4,349 m

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Bard Peak?
September has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
What time is golden hour at Bard Peak?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:49 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:25 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 7:50 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Bard Peak?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 58° in June to 121° in December; sunset ranges from 302° to 240°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Bard Peak?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bard Peak?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Bard Peak from Georgetown?
About 9.2 km (5.7 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.