Cheyenne Mountain — a mountain peak in El Paso County, Colorado at about 2,915 m (9,564 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.0 km (5.0 mi) W of Fort Carson.
Cheyenne Mountain, occasionally referred to as Cheyenne Benchmark, is a 9,565 foot high (2,915-meter) mountain in El Paso County, Colorado, south of downtown Colorado Springs located in the Western North American Great Plains and is part of Pike National Forest. It has three peaks with the highest one reaching 9,200 feet The mountains closest neighbor, Pikes Peak, is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America, east of its longitude.From the Wikipedia article “Cheyenne Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cheyenne Mountain 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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:28 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Cheyenne Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 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 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.3 | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.46 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 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 70 | 76 | 82 | 90 | 100 | 106 | 105 | 103 | 99 | 89 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | 3 | -6 | 7 | 15 | 27 | 38 | 52 | 49 | 30 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Cheyenne Mountain, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Canyon
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Hot SpringCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Crags26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Thunder Ridge28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Ridge28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cheyenne Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Cheyenne Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cheyenne Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cheyenne Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cheyenne Mountain?
How far is Cheyenne Mountain from Fort Carson?
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.