East Spanish Peak is a mountain peak in Las Animas County, Colorado at about 3,859 m (12,661 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Walsenburg, about 28 km (18 mi) away (East Spanish Peak lies SSW of town).
East Spanish Peak is a prominent mountain summit that is the lower of the two Spanish Peaks in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 12,688-foot (3,867 m) peak is located in the Spanish Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 9.3 miles (14.9 km) southeast by south (bearing 148°) of the Town of La Veta, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide between Huerfano and Las Animas counties. The Spanish Peaks are two large igneous stocks which form an eastern outlier of the Culebra Range, a subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. East Spanish Peak is higher than any point in the United States east of its longitude; it is also the easternmost point in the United States over 12,000 feet (3,700 m), 11,000 feet (3,400 m), and 10,000 feet (3,000 m) feet above sea level.From the Wikipedia article “East Spanish Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At East Spanish Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 59° ENE | 8:25 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:46 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 36m |
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 East Spanish Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 82 | 90 | 100 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 97 | 89 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | -8 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 48 | 27 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of East Spanish Peak, closest first.
Wilderness AreaMountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cordova Pass10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Bear Lake Campground (Co)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Blue Lake Campground - San Isabel Nf (Co)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Purgatoire Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph East Spanish Peak?
What time is golden hour at East Spanish Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at East Spanish Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from East Spanish Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at East Spanish Peak?
How far is East Spanish Peak from Walsenburg?
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.