Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado) is a mountain peak in Lake County, Colorado at about 4,235 m (13,894 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 11.8 km (7.3 mi) SE of Leadville.
Horseshoe Mountain is a mountain summit in the Mosquito Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,905-foot (4,238 m) thirteener is located 7.1 miles (11.5 km) southeast by east (bearing 126°) of the City of Leadville, Colorado, United States, on the drainage divide separating San Isabel National Forest and Lake County from Pike National Forest and Park County.From the Wikipedia article “Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:46 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 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 ≈ 21.64 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 36 | 34 | 55 | 61 | 75 | 82 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 43 |
| Low °F | -26 | -34 | -23 | -12 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 27 | 10 | -7 | -29 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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.
- 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 Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado), closest first.
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fourmile7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Weston Pass12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Dexter15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Printer Boy16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado)?
What time is golden hour at Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado)?
How far is Horseshoe Mountain (Colorado) from Leadville?
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.