Ypsilon Mountain — a mountain peak in Larimer County, Colorado at about 4,098 m (13,445 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Rocky Mountain National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 16.1 km (10.0 mi) WNW of Estes Park.
Ypsilon Mountain, elevation 13,520 ft (4,121 m), is in the Mummy Range of Rocky Mountain National Park in northern Colorado. The mountain, along with Mount Chiquita, is most easily accessed from a trailhead on Fall River Road to the south. The mountain was named in 1887 after the Greek letter Ypsilon by Mrs. Frederick H. Chapin, who observed the Y-shaped snowfield on its east face.From the Wikipedia article “Ypsilon Mountain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ypsilon Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Ypsilon Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:21 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 7:55 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.43 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 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 46 | 48 | 65 | 71 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 50 |
| Low °F | -26 | -31 | -15 | -3 | 5 | 27 | 36 | 31 | 19 | -4 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ypsilon Mountain, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rocky Mountain National Park Aspenglen Campground9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Long Draw Campground9.8 km (6.1 mi)
- Grandview Campground11.3 km (7.0 mi)
- Rocky Mountain National Park Moraine Park Campground12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Mountain National Park Glacier Basin Campground16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ypsilon Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Ypsilon Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ypsilon Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ypsilon Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ypsilon Mountain?
How far is Ypsilon Mountain from Estes Park?
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.