Located in Routt County, Colorado, Elkhead State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 12.8 km (8.0 mi) NW of Hayden.
Elkhead Reservoir State Park is a Colorado state park located in Moffat and Routt counties in northwest Colorado, near Craig. The park surrounds and includes the 900 surface acre Elkhead Reservoir. It is referred to as Elkhead State Park. Elkhead Reservoir State Park is managed as a complex out of the Yampa River State Park office, located to the west of the town of Hayden, CO. Elkhead Reservoir was constructed in 1974 and is owned by the City of Craig. The Colorado State Parks system took over management of recreational use and facilities at the reservoir in 1998. The reservoir is stocked with primarily warmwater fish species, including largemouth bass, black crappie, and bluegill. Activities at the park include both non-electric and electric camping, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing, and hiking. As of 2021, Elkhead Reservoir State Park did not feature potable water as an...From the Wikipedia article “Elkhead Reservoir State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Elkhead State Park 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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 58° ENE | 8:44 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 121° ESE | 4:46 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Elkhead State Park, 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 21° 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 | 5:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:02 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 ≈ 21.78 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 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 51 | 54 | 68 | 76 | 89 | 92 | 94 | 93 | 87 | 76 | 64 | 50 |
| Low °F | -25 | -36 | -10 | 4 | 15 | 28 | 38 | 36 | 24 | -2 | -13 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
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.
- 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
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 Elkhead State Park, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Elkhead State Park?
What time is golden hour at Elkhead State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Elkhead State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Elkhead State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Elkhead State Park?
How far is Elkhead State Park from Hayden?
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.