Lory State Park is a state park in Larimer County, Colorado. It sits roughly 5.5 km (3.4 mi) SW of Laporte.
Lory State Park, is a state park located west of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado and is west of Horsetooth Reservoir and north of Horsetooth Mountain Park. Some of the park's more popular attractions include mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and rock climbing. The park also contains its own bike park, which features dirt jumping, a pump track, and a skills area.From the Wikipedia article “Lory State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lory 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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 58° ENE | 8:36 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 121° ESE | 4:38 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 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 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 Lory 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 5 (suburban sky), 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 | 5:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:43 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:53 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 7:53 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.62 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 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 46 | 48 | 65 | 71 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 50 |
| Low °F | -26 | -31 | -15 | -3 | 5 | 27 | 36 | 31 | 19 | -4 | -12 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 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
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 Lory State Park, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
State Park
Wilderness Area
Canyon
WaterfallWaterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ansel Watrous17.8 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Stove Prairie21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Narrows (Co)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Buckhorn Ranger Station24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Mountain Park26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lory State Park?
What time is golden hour at Lory State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lory State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lory State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lory State Park?
How far is Lory State Park from Laporte?
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.