Crawford State Park is a state park in Delta County, Colorado. It lies in or next to Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 20 km (12 mi) S of Paonia.
Crawford State Park is a Colorado State Park that encompasses Crawford Reservoir located about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the town of Crawford in Delta County, Colorado. The north rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is about 12 miles (19 km) southwest and Delta is about 31 miles (50 km) west on Highway 92. The 760-acre (3.1 km2) park was established in 1964 on the shore of Crawford Reservoir, a 400 acres (1.6 km2) lake with boat ramps and a swimming beach. Other facilities include camp sites, picnic sites and a visitors center. The park has 1.8 miles (2.9 km) of trails available to both hikers and bicyclists. Plant communities include pinyon-juniper woodlands, sagebrush and small areas of west slope grassland. Wetland and riparian areas are around the reservoir and below the dam.From the Wikipedia article “Crawford State Park (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Crawford State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:39 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:53 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Crawford State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 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 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 | 5:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.3 | 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: 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 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 53 | 52 | 66 | 72 | 87 | 92 | 93 | 88 | 86 | 76 | 64 | 51 |
| Low °F | -21 | -15 | -8 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 35 | 33 | 22 | 1 | -5 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Crawford State Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Dark Sky Place
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison North Rim Campground15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison South Rim Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- East Portal Campground18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
- East Portal Campground18.4 km (11.4 mi)
- Cottonwood Grove Campground24 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Crawford State Park?
What time is golden hour at Crawford State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Crawford State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Crawford State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Crawford State Park?
How far is Crawford State Park from Paonia?
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.