Yucca House National Monument is a National Monument in Colorado. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Yucca House the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 244° | 9h 53m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:55 PM | 255° | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 283° | 13h 09m |
| May | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 295° | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:37 PM | 301° | 14h 43m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:36 PM | 298° | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 288° | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 274° | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:39 PM | 260° | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 247° | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:59 PM | 241° | 9h 37m |
Computed for the park's reference point (37.2478, -108.6861); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Yucca House, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 14° |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.7 | 24° |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:21 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:31 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:35 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:33 PM | 1.7 | 20° |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.3 | 14° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
2 Estimated Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars.
Weather & best time to visit
Spring and Fall are mild with daytime temperatures ranging from 50 F to 80 F. Winter temperatures are below 50 F with occasional snowstorms. Summers are hot and dry, with highs in the 90s.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. 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.
Getting there
From Cortez, take Hwy. 491 south approximately 8 miles. Take a right on MC County Road B (green sign), which is a dirt road one mile south of MC Road C. Drive 0.8 miles, crossing a paved road (MC Road 21), and take the next dirt road on the right (before the farmhouse on the left). Follow this road north and west for 1.4 miles, and head towards a white ranch house with a red roof on the west horizon. Once at the ranch house, Yucca House NM is on the left side if the driveway.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
Nearby parks
CO
CO/UT
NM
UT
AZ
NM