Trinchera Falls is a waterfall in Las Animas County, Colorado at about 1,652 m (5,420 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 43 km (27 mi) E of Trinidad.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trinchera Falls 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) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 59° ENE | 8:20 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 119° ESE | 4:43 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Trinchera Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:02 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:16 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 82 | 90 | 100 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 97 | 89 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | -8 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 48 | 27 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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 waterfall
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- Bracket shutter speeds: 1/8 s, 1/2 s and 2 s give very different water textures and you can choose later.
- A 3-stop ND filter lets you use slow shutter speeds even when the light is bright.
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trinchera Falls?
What time is golden hour at Trinchera Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trinchera Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trinchera Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trinchera Falls?
How far is Trinchera Falls from Trinidad?
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.