Located in Jefferson County, Colorado, Willowbrook Amphitheatre is a rock formation. The nearest town is Dakota Ridge, about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away (Willowbrook Amphitheatre lies WSW of town).
Willowbrook Amphitheatre, also known as Chief Colorow's Cave, is a cave-like structure composed of Paleozoic Age Fountain Formation sandstone. The top is open to the sky. Willowbrook Amphitheatre is located in the Willowbrook subdivision in Jefferson County, near Morrison, Colorado, south of Red Rocks Park and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It is located on private land, and is restricted to the use of the association residents for weddings and local events. Colorow's Cave was named for Chief Colorow who is said to have used the cave along with his band for temporary shelter during his summer visits.From the Wikipedia article “Willowbrook Amphitheatre”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Willowbrook Amphitheatre 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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:32 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 120° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Willowbrook Amphitheatre, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:03 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.68 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Willowbrook Amphitheatre, closest first.
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
State Park
Botanical Garden
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Indian Creek Equestrian Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Rampart Range Recreation Area Designated Dispersed Camping 27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Mestaa’Ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout28 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Osprey (Co)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Willowbrook Amphitheatre?
What time is golden hour at Willowbrook Amphitheatre?
Where does the sun rise and set at Willowbrook Amphitheatre?
Can you see the Milky Way from Willowbrook Amphitheatre?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Willowbrook Amphitheatre?
How far is Willowbrook Amphitheatre from Dakota Ridge?
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.