Located in Park County, Colorado, Mount Evans Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Arapaho National Forest. The nearest town is Georgetown, about 14.0 km (8.7 mi) away (Mount Evans Wilderness lies SSE of town).
The Mount Evans Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in Arapaho National Forest and Pike National Forest about 30 miles (48 km) west of Denver, Colorado. The wilderness area is named after Mount Blue Sky's former name, Mount Evans.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Evans Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Evans Wilderness 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) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 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
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 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 Mount Evans Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.1 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 44% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Mount Evans Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Guanella Pass6.9 km (4.3 mi) · reservable
- Echo Lake8.6 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Geneva Park Campground9.9 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Burning Bear Campground10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- West Chicago Creek10.2 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Evans Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Mount Evans Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Evans Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Evans Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Evans Wilderness?
How far is Mount Evans Wilderness from Georgetown?
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.