Greenhorn Mountain is a mountain peak in Pueblo County, Colorado at about 3,763 m (12,346 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 17.2 km (10.7 mi) WSW of Colorado City.
Greenhorn Mountain is the highest summit of the Wet Mountains range in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 12,352-foot (3,765 m) peak is located in the Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 5.2 miles (8.4 km) southwest by west (bearing 238°) of the Town of Rye, Colorado, United States, on the boundary between Huerfano and Pueblo counties. The summit of Greenhorn Mountain is the highest point in Pueblo County, Colorado. The peak's summit rises above timberline, which is about 11,500 feet (3,500 m) in south-central Colorado.From the Wikipedia article “Greenhorn Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Greenhorn 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 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 | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 59° ENE | 8:26 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Greenhorn Mountain, 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 23° 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 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:09 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 54 | 60 | 69 | 75 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 88 | 80 | 68 | 57 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -3 | 13 | 18 | 30 | 43 | 40 | 21 | 11 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- 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.
- 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 Greenhorn Mountain, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ponderosa Group - Lake Isabel10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Spruce Group - Lake Isabel10.7 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Lake Isabel Cabin11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Southside Campground - Lake Isabel11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- St Charles Campground - Lake Isabel12.0 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Greenhorn Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Greenhorn Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Greenhorn Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Greenhorn Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Greenhorn Mountain?
How far is Greenhorn Mountain from Colorado City?
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.