Located in El Paso County, Colorado, Pikes Peak is a mountain peak at about 4,303 m (14,117 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 11.2 km (7.0 mi) W of Manitou Springs. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pikes Peak or America's Mountain is an ultra-prominent fourteener of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Pikes Peak's summit, with an elevation of 14,115 ft (4,302 m) above sea level, is the easternmost fourteener in the United States. Pikes Peak is in Pike National Forest, Colorado, with the base located in the town of Manitou Springs, 10 miles (16 km) west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County, United States. Zebulon Pike, a commissioned officer serving for the United States Army, received an order in 1806 by Thomas Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Purchase. Later that winter he attempted to climb the mountain, but the climb was abandoned, possibly due to the mountain's cold weather. The first successful documented hike was by the geologist and botanist Edwin James during his expedition on July 15, 1820. During the Pikes Peak gold rush,...From the Wikipedia article “Pikes Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pikes Peak 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Pikes Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.3 | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.36 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 56 | 57 | 70 | 74 | 87 | 91 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 78 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -8 | 10 | 16 | 28 | 41 | 38 | 21 | -1 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Pikes Peak, closest first.
Canyon
Waterfall
Hot Spring
Cave
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- The Crags7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Thunder Ridge16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Ridge16.1 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Springdale17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Red Rocks Group Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pikes Peak?
What time is golden hour at Pikes Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pikes Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pikes Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pikes Peak?
How far is Pikes Peak from Manitou Springs?
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.