Located in Montezuma County, Colorado, Mancos State Park is a state park. It lies in or next to Mesa Verde National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Mancos, about 6.4 km (4.0 mi) away (Mancos State Park lies NNE of town).
Mancos State Park is a Colorado state park. It is located near Mesa Verde National Park, the West Mancos Trail and the San Juan Skyway. The park is known to have been a dwelling place for Ancestral Puebloans. They lived in the Four Corners area in ancient times from AD 1 to 1300. It was also later controlled by the Spanish for 200 years from the 17th to the 19th century. In 1948 the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation commissioned the Jackson Gulch Dam, and it was officially included as a part of the Colorado state parks in 1987.From the Wikipedia article “Mancos State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mancos State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 119° ESE | 4:59 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Mancos State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 63 | 62 | 77 | 81 | 94 | 99 | 100 | 97 | 94 | 83 | 73 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -3 | 1 | 17 | 22 | 31 | 45 | 45 | 29 | 11 | 3 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Mancos State Park, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Wilderness AreaScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakScenic Viewpoint
Fire LookoutScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Transfer Campground9.1 km (5.7 mi) · reservable
- Target Tree Campground9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Guard Station10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Jersey Jim Fire Tower13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Morefield Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi)
FAQ
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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.