Mount Powell — a mountain peak in Summit County, Colorado at about 4,135 m (13,566 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Vail, about 13.6 km (8.5 mi) away (Mount Powell lies NNE of town).
Mount Powell is the highest summit of the Gore Range in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The prominent 13,586-foot (4,141 m) thirteener is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, 8.5 miles (13.7 km) north by east (bearing 8°) of the Town of Vail, Colorado, United States, along the drainage divide separating White River National Forest and Eagle County from Arapaho National Forest and Summit County. Mount Powell was named in honor of John Wesley Powell who climbed to the summit in 1868.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Powell (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Powell the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Powell, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:07 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 ≈ 21.56 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Powell, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Elliott Creek Campground (Co)12.8 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Prairie Point Campground (Co)13.1 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Cow Creek South14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Cow Creek North (Co)14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Willows Campground (Co)14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Powell?
What time is golden hour at Mount Powell?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Powell?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Powell?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Powell?
How far is Mount Powell from Vail?
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.