Maroon Bells is a mountain peak in Gunnison County, Colorado. It is part of White River National Forest. It sits roughly 16.4 km (10.2 mi) SSW of Snowmass Village.
The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains, Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak, separated by about 0.3 miles (0.5 km). The mountains are on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, about 19 kilometers (12 mi) southwest of Aspen. Both peaks are fourteeners. Maroon Peak, at 14,163 feet (4,317 m), is the 27th highest peak in Colorado. North Maroon Peak, at 14,019 feet (4,273 m), is the 50th highest (depending on how they are counted). The view of the Maroon Bells to the southwest from the Maroon Creek valley is very heavily photographed. The peaks are located in the Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest. Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness was one of five areas in Colorado designated as wilderness in the original Wilderness Act of 1964. The Wilderness area surrounds the extremely popular Maroon Bells Scenic Area,...From the Wikipedia article “Maroon Bells”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Maroon Bells 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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 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 Maroon Bells, 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:09 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 ≈ 21.76 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Maroon Bells, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Hot SpringHot SpringMountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Maroon Bells Amphitheatre4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- East Maroon Portal Picnic Site9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Gothic10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Silver Queen Campground10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Silver Bell Campground11.5 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Maroon Bells?
What time is golden hour at Maroon Bells?
Where does the sun rise and set at Maroon Bells?
Can you see the Milky Way from Maroon Bells?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Maroon Bells?
How far is Maroon Bells from Snowmass Village?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.