Located in Weld County, Colorado, Pawnee Buttes is a rock formation. It is part of Pawnee National Grassland. It sits roughly 41 km (25 mi) SSE of Pine Bluffs.
The Pawnee Buttes are two prominent buttes in northeastern Colorado. The west butte is located within the Pawnee National Grassland, while the east butte is on private land in Weld County. Rising approximately 300 feet (91 m) above the surrounding plains, the buttes are erosional remnants left standing in isolation as the surrounding High Plains surface has gradually worn away. The lower portions of the buttes are composed of relatively soft, clay-rich sedimentary rock called the Brule formation. The Brule formation is protected by an overlying layer of sandstone and conglomerate sediments called the Arikaree formation, which are more resistant to weathering.From the Wikipedia article “Pawnee Buttes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pawnee Buttes 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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:32 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 8:01 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Pawnee Buttes, 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 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 | 5:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:39 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:47 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:49 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 7:48 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: 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 ≈ 21.74 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 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 71 | 76 | 83 | 92 | 101 | 108 | 108 | 107 | 102 | 89 | 79 | 65 |
| Low °F | -3 | -9 | 0 | 10 | 22 | 40 | 50 | 45 | 32 | 13 | 1 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
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 rock formation
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- 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.
- 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 Pawnee Buttes, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pawnee Buttes?
What time is golden hour at Pawnee Buttes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pawnee Buttes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pawnee Buttes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pawnee Buttes?
How far is Pawnee Buttes from Pine Bluffs?
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.