Cache La Poudre Wilderness is a wilderness area in Larimer County, Colorado. The nearest town is Laporte, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Cache La Poudre Wilderness lies W of town).
The Cache la Poudre Wilderness is federally-protected area administered by the U.S. Forest Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is located on the Canyon Lakes Ranger District on the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado. This wilderness covers 9,258 acres (37.47 km2) and is characterized by steep, rugged terrain along the Cache la Poudre River. Elevations in this area varies from 6,200 feet (1,900 m) to 8,600 feet (2,600 m). Only one trail, the Mount McConnel National Recreation Trail that is 3 miles (4.8 km) long, exists in this wilderness, and 9 miles (14 km) of the Little South Fork of the Cache La Poudre River flow through the wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Cache La Poudre Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cache La Poudre Wilderness 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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 58° ENE | 8:37 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 121° ESE | 4:38 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 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 Cache La Poudre Wilderness, 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 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 7:54 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.35 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 wilderness area
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Cache La Poudre Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Canyon
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Canyon
State Park
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mountain Park2.3 km (1.5 mi) · reservable
- Narrows (Co)3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Kelly Flats Campground3.2 km (2.0 mi)
- Stove Prairie4.9 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Jacks Gulch7.3 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cache La Poudre Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cache La Poudre Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cache La Poudre Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cache La Poudre Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cache La Poudre Wilderness?
How far is Cache La Poudre Wilderness 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.