Located in Boulder County, Colorado, North Arapaho Peak is a mountain peak at about 4,100 m (13,451 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Nederland, about 13.9 km (8.6 mi) away (North Arapaho Peak lies WNW of town).
North Arapaho Peak is the highest summit of the Indian Peaks in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 13,508-foot (4,117 m) thirteener is located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, 7.8 miles (12.6 km) west-southwest (bearing 245°) of the Town of Ward, Colorado, United States, on the Continental Divide separating Roosevelt National Forest and Boulder County from Arapaho National Forest and Grand County. Between North Arapaho Peak and neighboring South Arapaho Peak sits Arapaho Glacier, which is owned by the City of Boulder as part of its water supply. North and South Arapahoe Peaks are connected by a 0.8-mile (1.3 km), Class 4 connecting ridge. West of these peaks is Arapaho Pass.From the Wikipedia article “North Arapaho Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At North Arapaho Peak 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 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:36 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 19m |
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 | 8:05 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 21m |
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 North Arapaho Peak, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.11 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 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 48 | 65 | 71 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 50 |
| Low °F | -26 | -31 | -15 | -3 | 5 | 27 | 36 | 31 | 19 | -4 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 North Arapaho Peak, closest first.
Glacier
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Canyon
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rainbow Lakes Campground7.2 km (4.5 mi)
- Pawnee13.6 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Arapaho Bay13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Camp Dick16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Kelly Dahl16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph North Arapaho Peak?
What time is golden hour at North Arapaho Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at North Arapaho Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from North Arapaho Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at North Arapaho Peak?
How far is North Arapaho Peak from Nederland?
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.