Located in Saguache County, Colorado, Mount Herard is a mountain peak at about 4,070 m (13,353 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Alamosa East, about 52 km (32 mi) away (Mount Herard lies NE of town).
Mount Herard is a high and prominent mountain summit in the Sangre de Cristo Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,345-foot (4,068 m) thirteener is located in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness of Great Sand Dunes National Preserve, 15.0 miles (24.1 km) southeast (bearing 132°) of the Town of Crestone in Saguache County, Colorado, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Herard”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Herard 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:28 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:47 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Herard, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 54 | 60 | 69 | 75 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 88 | 80 | 68 | 57 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -3 | 13 | 18 | 30 | 43 | 40 | 21 | 11 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Herard, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Medano Pass Primitive Road Campsites5.1 km (3.2 mi)
- Duncan Cabin10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Pinon Flats Campground11.7 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Zapata Falls Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Alvarado Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Herard?
What time is golden hour at Mount Herard?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Herard?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Herard?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Herard?
How far is Mount Herard from Alamosa East?
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.