Located in Clear Creek County, Colorado, Torreys Peak is a mountain peak at about 4,339 m (14,236 ft) above sea level. It is part of White River National Forest. The nearest town is Georgetown, about 12.7 km (7.9 mi) away (Torreys Peak lies WSW of town).
Torreys Peak is a mountain in the Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It is one of 53 fourteeners in Colorado. Its nearest major city is Denver. Torreys Peak is located along the Continental Divide, as well as the division between Clear Creek County and Summit County. In the Arapaho language Torrey's Peak and the adjacent Gray's Peak are named, Heeniiyoowuu or "Ant Hills".From the Wikipedia article “Torreys Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Torreys Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:48 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 | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Torreys 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 3 (rural sky), 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.32 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
- 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 Torreys Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Guanella Pass9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- West Chicago Creek14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Geneva Park Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Burning Bear Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Hall Valley17.8 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Torreys Peak?
What time is golden hour at Torreys Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Torreys Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Torreys Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Torreys Peak?
How far is Torreys 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.