Colter Peak is a mountain peak in Park County, Wyoming at about 3,243 m (10,640 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Yellowstone National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Cody, about 87 km (54 mi) away (Colter Peak lies WSW of town).
Colter Peak el. 10,640 feet (3,240 m) is a mountain peak in the Absaroka Range in the southeastern section of Yellowstone National Park. The peak is named for mountain man John Colter, reputedly the first white man to visit the Yellowstone region. Colter Peak was first ascended in 1870 by Lt. Gustavus Cheyney Doane and Nathaniel P. Langford during the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition. Henry D. Washburn, the expedition leader named the peak for Langford and Doane. For unknown reasons, geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden moved those names to peaks farther north in 1871 during the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871. In 1888, Philetus Norris the second park superintendent, named the peak Mount Forum for unknown reasons. In 1885, geologist Arnold Hague gave the peak its official name: Colter Peak. The first detailed map of Yellowstone Lake was sketched by Langford from this peak on...From the Wikipedia article “Colter Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colter Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 55° NE | 9:09 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:54 AM | 123° ESE | 4:45 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Colter Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:13 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:10 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:16 AM – 3:46 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:33 PM – 3:03 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:18 PM – 1:48 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 33 | 32 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 72 | 53 | 33 |
| Low °F | -32 | -34 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 18 | -9 | -23 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Colter Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Mountain Pass
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colter Peak?
What time is golden hour at Colter Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colter Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colter Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colter Peak?
How far is Colter Peak from Cody?
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.