Engelmann Peak — a mountain peak in Clear Creek County, Colorado at about 4,077 m (13,376 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Georgetown, about 9.9 km (6.2 mi) away (Engelmann Peak lies WNW of town).
Engelmann Peak is a high mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,368-foot (4,075 m) thirteener is located in Arapaho National Forest, 6.3 miles (10.2 km) west by south (bearing 261°) of the Town of Empire in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. The mountain was named in honor of the botanist George Engelmann. The mountain is named for George Engelmann (1809–1884) a famous botanist responsible for describing and naming flora in the Rocky Mountains. He was born and educated in Germany and received his medical degree there. In 1832, he sailed to America. His financial backing had come from relatives in Germany who wanted him to invest in the lands of the new country so he explored areas in Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas.From the Wikipedia article “Engelmann Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Engelmann 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.
| 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) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 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 starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:18 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 | 5:49 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Engelmann 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:25 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.29 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Engelmann Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain PassMountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Robbers Roost Campground10.4 km (6.4 mi)
- Midland Group Campground13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Midland Group Campground13.9 km (8.6 mi)
- West Chicago Creek14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Guanella Pass16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Engelmann Peak?
What time is golden hour at Engelmann Peak?
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How far is Engelmann Peak from Georgetown?
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.