Parry Peak is a mountain peak in Grand County, Colorado at about 4,076 m (13,373 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Georgetown, about 14.7 km (9.1 mi) away (Parry Peak lies N of town).
Parry Peak, elevation 13,397 ft (4,083 m), is a summit in the Front Range of central Colorado. The peak, often referred to as "Bear Claw", is on the continental divide southeast of Winter Park in the Arapaho National Forest. The name honors Charles Christopher Parry, a botanist who made extensive studies of the Colorado mountain flora in the 1860s. It is one of the 637 thirteeners (peaks over 13,000 ft elevation) in the state of Colorado and lies along the Continental Divide Trail. Parry Peak is also the highest peak of the James Group of the Front Range of Colorado.From the Wikipedia article “Parry Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Parry 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 74° 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 | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 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 Parry 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 – 4:48 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:25 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 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: 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 ≈ 21.17 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Parry Peak, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassMountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Robbers Roost Campground3.8 km (2.4 mi)
- Midland Group Campground4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Midland Group Campground4.3 km (2.7 mi)
- Idlewild Campground9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Columbine Campground14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Parry Peak?
What time is golden hour at Parry Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Parry Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Parry Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Parry Peak?
How far is Parry Peak from Georgetown?
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.