Dawson Butte is a rock formation in Douglas County, Colorado. It sits roughly 6.8 km (4.2 mi) NE of Perry Park.
Dawson Butte, elevation 7,474 ft (2,278 m), is a flat-topped mountain in Douglas County, Colorado. Adjacent to the mountain is the Dawson Butte Open Space, owned by Douglas County and managed by the County's Division of Open Space and Natural Resources. The mountain and open space are located about five miles south of Castle Rock. The publicly accessible portion of the open space covers 828 acres. A five-mile-long trail loops around the open space property. The trail is open to hikers, horseback riders, snowshoers, and mountain bikers. Dogs are allowed provided they are leashed. An old bridle path remains on the property, and some of the jumps are still set up. There is no public access to the top of the butte.From the Wikipedia article “Dawson Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dawson Butte the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:30 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Dawson Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.26 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 September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 70 | 73 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 103 | 103 | 102 | 97 | 86 | 77 | 67 |
| Low °F | -2 | -9 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 35 | 49 | 43 | 28 | 8 | -1 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
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 rock formation
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Dawson Butte, closest first.
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
State Park
Mountain Pass
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Flat Rocks Campground13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Devils Head Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Rampart Range Recreation Area Designated Dispersed Camping 16.0 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Indian Creek Equestrian Campground17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Osprey (Co)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dawson Butte?
What time is golden hour at Dawson Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dawson Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dawson Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dawson Butte?
How far is Dawson Butte from Perry Park?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.