Colton Crater is a volcano in Coconino County, Arizona at about 1,904 m (6,247 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Flagstaff, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Colton Crater lies N of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Colton Crater the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 60° ENE | 7:46 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Colton Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:20 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:33 PM – 3:23 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:51 PM – 11:51 PM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:02 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 39 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 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 volcano
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Colton Crater, closest first.
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Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutVolcanoVolcano
Dark Sky Place
Mountain Peak
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kendrick Cabin16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Lockett Meadow Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Bonito Campground (Az)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Oleary Group Site22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Little Elden Springs Horsecamp30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Colton Crater?
What time is golden hour at Colton Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Colton Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Colton Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Colton Crater?
How far is Colton Crater from Flagstaff?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.