Mount Zion is a mountain peak in Jefferson County, Colorado at about 2,147 m (7,044 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Golden, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Mount Zion lies SW of town).
Mount Zion is a foothill on the eastern flank of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 7,062-foot (2,152 m) peak is located in Windy Saddle Park, 1.7 miles (2.7 km) west (bearing 273°) of downtown Golden, Colorado, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Zion (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Zion 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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 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 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 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 Zion, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 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 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:03 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.87 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 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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Zion, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
National Wildlife Refuge
Rock Formation
Lake
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cold Springs - Arapaho Roosevelt Nf (Co)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Pickle Gulch26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Columbine Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Zion?
What time is golden hour at Mount Zion?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Zion?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Zion?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Zion?
How far is Mount Zion from Golden?
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.