Pyramid Peak — a mountain peak in Pitkin County, Colorado at about 4,246 m (13,930 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of White River National Forest. It sits roughly 15.8 km (9.8 mi) S of Snowmass Village.
Pyramid Peak is a fourteen-thousand-foot mountain in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is the 47th highest mountain peak in Colorado, and 78th highest peak in the United States. It is located in the Elk Mountains in southeastern Pitkin County, approximately 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Aspen. The summit somewhat resembles a ragged square pyramid and is visible from the Roaring Fork River valley north of Aspen along the canyon of Maroon Creek. Like many of the peaks in the Elks, Pyramid Peak is quite steep, especially compared to more gentle fourteeners such as Mount Elbert. For example, the peak's summit rises 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above Crater Lake to the northwest in only 1.2 miles (1.9 km), and 4,400 feet (1,300 m) above East Maroon Creek to the east of the peak in the same horizontal distance.From the Wikipedia article “Pyramid Peak (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pyramid 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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Pyramid Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:09 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.74 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 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 Pyramid Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Hot SpringHot Spring
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain Pass
Mountain Peak
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Maroon Bells Amphitheatre2.3 km (1.5 mi) · reservable
- East Maroon Portal Picnic Site7.1 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Silver Queen Campground8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Silver Bell Campground9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Silver Bar Campground9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pyramid Peak?
What time is golden hour at Pyramid Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pyramid Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pyramid Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pyramid Peak?
How far is Pyramid Peak from Snowmass Village?
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.