Located in Gunnison County, Colorado, West Elk Peak is a mountain peak at about 3,975 m (13,041 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Crested Butte, about 25 km (15 mi) away (West Elk Peak lies SW of town).
West Elk Peak, elevation 13,042 ft (3,975 m), is the highest summit in the West Elk Mountains of Gunnison County, Colorado. The mountain is in the West Elk Wilderness, northwest of Gunnison.From the Wikipedia article “West Elk Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Elk 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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:51 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 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 West Elk 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 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 | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:17 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 | 8:00 PM – 8:20 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: 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 ≈ 21.85 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 June as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 53 | 52 | 66 | 72 | 87 | 92 | 93 | 88 | 86 | 76 | 64 | 51 |
| Low °F | -21 | -15 | -8 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 22 | 1 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 West Elk Peak, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lake Irwin19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Soap Creek22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Ponderosa Campground (Co)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- East Elk Creek Group Campsite26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Red Creek Group Site26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Elk Peak?
What time is golden hour at West Elk Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Elk Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Elk Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Elk Peak?
How far is West Elk Peak from Crested Butte?
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.