Located in Chaffee County, Colorado, Mount Columbia is a mountain peak at about 4,285 m (14,058 ft) above sea level. It is part of San Isabel National Forest. The nearest town is Buena Vista, about 16.0 km (9.9 mi) away (Mount Columbia lies WNW of town).
Mount Columbia is a high mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,072.6-foot (4,289 m) fourteener is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 9.9 miles (16.0 km) northwest by west (bearing 301°) of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The mountain was named by Roger W. Toll in honor of his alma mater, Columbia University, and in commemoration of its rowing victory at the renowned Henley Royal Regatta in 1878.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Columbia (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Columbia 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 | 7:17 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) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:47 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 | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 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 | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:03 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 Mount Columbia, 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:06 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 ≈ 21.74 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
- 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 Mount Columbia, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Mountain Peak
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Collegiate Peaks10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Dawson Cabin12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Cottonwood Lake - Psicc (Co)13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Crescent Mining Camp14.1 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Parry Peak21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Columbia?
What time is golden hour at Mount Columbia?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Columbia?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Columbia?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Columbia?
How far is Mount Columbia 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.