Dotsero is a volcano in Eagle County, Colorado at about 2,086 m (6,844 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Gypsum, about 7.3 km (4.5 mi) away (Dotsero lies WNW of town).
Dotsero Crater is an elongate, 2,300 ft (700 m) long by 1,300 ft (400 m) wide, maar incised into sedimentary strata of the side of a mountain, called Blowout Hill, and local, irregular, mountainous topography. At an elevation of 7,316 ft (2,230 m), its north rim lies about 330 ft (100 m) higher than its south rim. Dotsero Crater is about 1,300 ft (400 m) deep. It is part of a maar and scoria cone complex in which the associated scoria cones are constructed along a NNE-SSW line on either side of the maar and is perched near the upper edge of steep sided canyons about 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor of the Eagle River. The axis of the maar and scoria cone complex aligns with the axis of a local syncline. Associated with the maar and scoria cones is a lahar and 2 mi (3.2 km)-long lava flow. Dotsero Crater lies northeast of Dotsero, Colorado near the junction of the Colorado...From the Wikipedia article “Dotsero”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dotsero the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 58° ENE | 8:40 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Dotsero, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:30 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:10 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 ≈ 21.37 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 48 | 52 | 65 | 73 | 87 | 91 | 93 | 90 | 89 | 76 | 64 | 48 |
| Low °F | -25 | -22 | -8 | 7 | 18 | 27 | 37 | 34 | 23 | 5 | -15 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 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 volcano
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Dotsero, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
Waterfall
National Forest
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dotsero?
What time is golden hour at Dotsero?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dotsero?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dotsero?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dotsero?
How far is Dotsero from Gypsum?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.