Located in Pitkin County, Colorado, Snowmass Mountain is a mountain peak at about 4,294 m (14,088 ft) above sea level. It is part of White River National Forest. It sits roughly 15.3 km (9.5 mi) SW of Snowmass Village.
Snowmass Mountain is a 14,101.7-foot-high (4,298.2 m) mountain in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the thirty-fourth highest mountain peak in the state. Located in the Elk Mountains within the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of the White River National Forest, it lies along the border between Pitkin and Gunnison counties, west of Aspen and southwest of the town of Snowmass Village. Snowmass Mountain is named for the large snowfield that lies on its eastern slopes. Snowmass Mountain should not be confused with the Snowmass ski area, located outside Snowmass Village; nor with nearby Snowmass Peak, a lower but more visually striking peak that towers over Snowmass Lake. Hagerman Peak sits between Snowmass Mountain and Snowmass Peak and is also often mistaken for Snowmass Mountain.From the Wikipedia article “Snowmass Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Snowmass Mountain 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) | 7:13 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) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 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 | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 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 Snowmass Mountain, 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 ≈ 21.76 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 (70%). 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 | 48 | 52 | 65 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 90 | 89 | 76 | 64 | 48 |
| Low °F | -25 | -22 | -8 | 7 | 18 | 27 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 5 | -15 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
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 Snowmass Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Maroon Bells Amphitheatre11.2 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- East Maroon Portal Picnic Site14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Silver Queen Campground14.4 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Silver Bell Campground15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Silver Bar Campground15.4 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Snowmass Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Snowmass Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Snowmass Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Snowmass Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Snowmass Mountain?
How far is Snowmass Mountain 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.