Located in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, Flat Tops Wilderness Area is a wilderness area. It is part of White River National Forest. It sits roughly 43 km (27 mi) NW of Gypsum.
Flat Tops Wilderness Area is the third largest U.S. Wilderness Area in Colorado. It is 235,214 acres (951.88 km2), with 38,870 acres (157.3 km2) in Routt National Forest and 196,344 acres (794.58 km2) in White River National Forest. It was designated a wilderness area in 1975. Trappers Lake, located in the north of the area, was the lake that inspired Arthur Carhart, a United States Forest Service official, to plead for wilderness preservation.From the Wikipedia article “Flat Tops Wilderness Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Flat Tops Wilderness Area 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 121° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Flat Tops Wilderness Area, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:05 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.83 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 wilderness area
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Flat Tops Wilderness Area, closest first.
Lake
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Cave
Natural Arch
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Shepherds Rim Campground5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Marvine Campground15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Cold Springs Campground15.5 km (9.6 mi)
- North Fork Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Ridge Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Flat Tops Wilderness Area?
What time is golden hour at Flat Tops Wilderness Area?
Where does the sun rise and set at Flat Tops Wilderness Area?
Can you see the Milky Way from Flat Tops Wilderness Area?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Flat Tops Wilderness Area?
How far is Flat Tops Wilderness Area from Gypsum?
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.