Hesperus Mountain is a mountain peak in Montezuma County, Colorado at about 4,027 m (13,212 ft) above sea level. It is part of San Juan National Forest. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) ENE of Mancos.
Hesperus Mountain (Navajo: Dibé Ntsaa meaning "Big Mountain Sheep") is the highest summit of the La Plata Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 13,237-foot (4,035 m) thirteener is located in San Juan National Forest, 13.2 miles (21.2 km) northeast by east (bearing 59°) of the Town of Mancos in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The summit of Hesperus Mountain is the highest point in Montezuma County.From the Wikipedia article “Hesperus Mountain (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hesperus 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) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:37 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:59 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 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 Hesperus 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 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 | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:23 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 63 | 62 | 77 | 81 | 94 | 99 | 100 | 97 | 94 | 83 | 73 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -3 | 1 | 17 | 22 | 31 | 45 | 45 | 29 | 11 | 3 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Hesperus Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kroeger7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Snowslide8.3 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Jersey Jim Fire Tower10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Guard Station10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Transfer Campground11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hesperus Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Hesperus Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hesperus Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hesperus Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hesperus Mountain?
How far is Hesperus Mountain from Mancos?
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.