Ice Mountain (Colorado) is a mountain peak in Gunnison County, Colorado at about 4,220 m (13,845 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) WNW of Buena Vista.
Ice Mountain is a high mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,958-foot (4,254 m) thirteener is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, 17.1 miles (27.5 km) west-northwest (bearing 290°) of the Town of Buena Vista, Colorado, United States, on the Continental Divide separating San Isabel National Forest and Chaffee County from White River National Forest and Pitkin County.From the Wikipedia article “Ice Mountain (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ice Mountain (Colorado) 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Ice 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 19° | 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 | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.3 | 19° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.78 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 June as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 44 | 48 | 63 | 68 | 82 | 86 | 87 | 83 | 82 | 72 | 60 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -25 | -13 | 2 | 11 | 23 | 35 | 34 | 19 | -3 | -21 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Ice Mountain (Colorado), closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Crescent Mining Camp8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Dawson Cabin12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Rivers End12.8 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Dinner Station12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Collegiate Peaks15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ice Mountain (Colorado)?
What time is golden hour at Ice Mountain (Colorado)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ice Mountain (Colorado)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ice Mountain (Colorado)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ice Mountain (Colorado)?
How far is Ice Mountain (Colorado) from Buena Vista?
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.