Castle Peak — a mountain peak in Pitkin County, Colorado at about 4,344 m (14,252 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Gunnison National Forest. It sits roughly 19.0 km (11.8 mi) NE of Crested Butte.
Castle Peak is the ninth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent 14,272-foot (4350.20 m) fourteener is the highest summit of the Elk Mountains and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. The peak is located 11.6 miles (18.7 km) northeast by north (bearing 32°) of the Town of Crested Butte, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide separating Gunnison National Forest and Gunnison County from White River National Forest and Pitkin County. The summit of Castle Peak is the highest point of both counties. The Aetherius Society considers it to be one of its 19 holy mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Castle Peak (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Castle Peak 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Castle Peak, 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 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 | 5:14 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 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: 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 ≈ 21.78 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 February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 36 | 34 | 55 | 61 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -26 | -34 | -23 | -12 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 10 | -7 | -29 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Castle Peak, closest first.
Hot SpringHot Spring
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Maroon Bells Amphitheatre11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Gothic12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- East Maroon Portal Picnic Site13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Silver Queen Campground14.1 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Silver Bell Campground14.9 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Castle Peak?
What time is golden hour at Castle Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Castle Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Castle Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Castle Peak?
How far is Castle Peak from Crested Butte?
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.