Chief Cheley Peak — a mountain peak in Larimer County, Colorado at about 3,906 m (12,815 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Rocky Mountain National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) W of Estes Park.
Chief Cheley Peak is a mountain summit in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 12,815-foot (3,906 m) peak is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, 13.1 miles (21.1 km) west (bearing 267°) of the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, United States, on the Continental Divide between Grand and Larimer counties. Chief Cheley Peak was named for Frank Cheley, an outdoor educator.From the Wikipedia article “Chief Cheley Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chief Cheley 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Chief Cheley 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.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 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 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 46 | 48 | 65 | 71 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 50 |
| Low °F | -26 | -31 | -15 | -3 | 5 | 27 | 36 | 31 | 19 | -4 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Chief Cheley Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
LakeScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rocky Mountain National Park Timber Creek Campground6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Grandview Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi)
- Rocky Mountain National Park Moraine Park Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Mountain National Park Aspenglen Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Mountain National Park Glacier Basin Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chief Cheley Peak?
What time is golden hour at Chief Cheley Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chief Cheley Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chief Cheley Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chief Cheley Peak?
How far is Chief Cheley Peak from Estes Park?
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.