Mount Bailey — a mountain peak in Park County, Colorado at about 2,767 m (9,078 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) NE of Bailey.
Mount Bailey is a mountain summit in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 9,089-foot (2,770 m) peak is located 1.0 mile (1.6 km) northeast (bearing 48°) of the community of Bailey in Park County, Colorado, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Bailey (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Bailey 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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Mount Bailey, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:49 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:04 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.89 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 April as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Mount Bailey, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Meridian Campground 12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Deer Creek Campground13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Green Mountain Campground13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Buffalo Campground13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Lost Park15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Bailey?
What time is golden hour at Mount Bailey?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Bailey?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Bailey?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Bailey?
How far is Mount Bailey from Bailey?
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.