Mount Democrat is a mountain peak in Park County, Colorado at about 4,310 m (14,140 ft) above sea level. It is part of San Isabel National Forest. It sits roughly 16.4 km (10.2 mi) NE of Leadville.
Mount Democrat is a 14,152-foot mountain located in the Mosquito Range of central Colorado. It is one of the state's 58 fourteeners and is commonly climbed by hikers because of its relatively easy trail. Mount Democrat is often part of the DeCaLiBron Loop, which connects four nearby peaks. The mountain also has a history of mining, with old mine remains still visible. Access to the mountain has changed over time because of private land issues, but public access has recently been restored.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Democrat”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Democrat 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 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:45 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 | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:18 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 | 6:39 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 | 7:29 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Democrat, 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 ≈ 21.59 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Democrat, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fourmile15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Camp Hale East Fork Group15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Horseshoe Campground16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Selkirk16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Camp Hale Memorial17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Democrat?
What time is golden hour at Mount Democrat?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Democrat?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Democrat?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Democrat?
How far is Mount Democrat 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.