Spanish Peaks is a mountain peak in Huerfano County, Colorado at about 4,136 m (13,570 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Walsenburg, about 33 km (21 mi) away (Spanish Peaks lies SW of town).
The Spanish Peaks are a pair of prominent mountains located in southwestern Huerfano County, Colorado. The Comanche people call them Huajatolla ( wah-hah-TOY-ə) or Wa-ha-toy-yah meaning "double mountain" The two peaks, East Spanish Peak at elevation 12,688 feet (3,867 m) and West Spanish Peak at elevation 13,631 feet (4,155 m), are east of, and separate from, the Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Both of the Spanish Peaks are higher than any point in the United States farther east. The Spanish Peaks are situated 100 miles (160 km) due south of Colorado Springs. The Spanish Peaks were formed by two separate shallow (or hypabyssal) igneous intrusions during the Late-Oligocene epoch of the Paleogene Period. West Spanish Peak is an older (24.59 ± 0.13 Ma) quartz syenite. East Spanish Peak (23.36 ± 0.18 Ma) is composed of a granodiorite porphyry surrounded by a more...From the Wikipedia article “Spanish Peaks”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Spanish Peaks the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 59° ENE | 8:25 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:46 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Spanish Peaks, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 82 | 90 | 100 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 97 | 89 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | -8 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 48 | 27 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 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.
- 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 Spanish Peaks, closest first.
Mountain PeakWilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cordova Pass4.1 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Bear Lake Campground (Co)13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Blue Lake Campground - San Isabel Nf (Co)14.4 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Purgatoire Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Spanish Peaks?
What time is golden hour at Spanish Peaks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Spanish Peaks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Spanish Peaks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Spanish Peaks?
How far is Spanish Peaks from Walsenburg?
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.