Located in Park County, Colorado, Eleven Mile State Park is a state park. The nearest town is Cripple Creek, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Eleven Mile State Park lies NW of town).
Eleven Mile State Park is a Colorado State Park located in Park County, 11 miles (18 km) south of Lake George, Colorado, United States. Established in 1970, the 7,662-acre (31.01 km2) park surrounds 3,405-acre (13.78 km2), 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir. The reservoir itself was completed in 1932 by Denver Water. Facilities include a marina, a visitors center and over 300 campsites. There are 5 miles (8.0 km) of trails available for hikers and bicyclists. Fish species include cutthroat, rainbow, brown trout and northern pike. Eleven Mile Reservoir is famous for the thriving Kokanee salmon population found in the river current along the north side of the reservoir known as the Dream Stream. This reservoir is also known for being very windy in the afternoon. A required daily vehicle park pass can be obtained at the entrance of the park. Daily species possession...From the Wikipedia article “Eleven Mile State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eleven Mile 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 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 59° ENE | 8:32 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 120° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Eleven Mile State Park, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.3 | 19° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.47 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 56 | 57 | 70 | 74 | 87 | 91 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 78 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -8 | 10 | 16 | 28 | 41 | 38 | 21 | -1 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Eleven Mile State Park, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain Pass
Dark Sky Place
Hot Spring
State Park
Mountain Pass
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Spillway Campground4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Cove Campground4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Riverside (Co)5.3 km (3.3 mi) · reservable
- Springer Gulch6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Pulver Mountain Group Site10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eleven Mile State Park?
What time is golden hour at Eleven Mile State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eleven Mile State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eleven Mile State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eleven Mile State Park?
How far is Eleven Mile State Park from Cripple Creek?
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.