Medicine Bow Peak is a mountain peak in Albany County, Wyoming at about 3,639 m (11,939 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Saratoga, about 42 km (26 mi) away (Medicine Bow Peak lies ESE of town).
Medicine Bow Peak (12,018 ft (3,663 m)) is the highest peak in the Snowy Range, a subrange of the Medicine Bow Mountains, about 35 miles (56 km) west of Laramie, Wyoming. It lies within Medicine Bow National Forest and is the highest point in southern Wyoming. The mountain peak lies in extreme western Albany County, but the lower reaches stretch westward into eastern Carbon County. The summit is visible from Snowy Range Pass (10,847 ft (3,300 m)) on Wyoming Highway 130, a Wyoming Scenic Byway. The most-common route to the summit is a four-mile hike featuring switch-backs and a great deal of loose rock; trails to the peak are usually open from early June to mid October. The mountain is usually covered with snow from October to late June. During winter, the peak can be summited by snowshoeing or skiing. Summer conditions can be extreme, with frequent thunderstorms and hail during the...From the Wikipedia article “Medicine Bow Peak”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Medicine Bow Peak the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 57° ENE | 8:43 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Medicine Bow Peak, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | 5:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 43 | 46 | 65 | 72 | 85 | 90 | 91 | 88 | 87 | 74 | 61 | 49 |
| Low °F | -25 | -38 | -15 | -9 | 8 | 24 | 37 | 32 | 20 | -3 | -12 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Medicine Bow Peak, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sugarloaf Campground (Wy)2.3 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Snow Survey Cabin6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Brooklyn Lake Campground6.2 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Little Brooklyn Lake Guard6.3 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Silver Lake Campground (Wy)6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Medicine Bow Peak?
What time is golden hour at Medicine Bow Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Medicine Bow Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Medicine Bow Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Medicine Bow Peak?
How far is Medicine Bow Peak from Saratoga?
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.