Planning Your Shot
Everything I check before heading out with a camera, in one place: tonight's sunset and tomorrow's sunrise across the whole state, aurora and Milky Way odds, fog, fall color, wildflowers and wildlife, plus live pass status, weather alerts, waterfall flow and snow on the trails. Use the panel to jump to any tracker.
Planning tools
At a glance
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Free alerts the day the aurora could reach Colorado, or when tonight's sunset is forecast to light up. How alerts work
Check Any Colorado Location
Not one of the spots below? Type a town, trailhead, or landmark and get the same sunset/sunrise read for it.
Sunset & Sunrise Forecast
Forecast estimate · weather models, refreshed through the day
74 spots across Colorado, or type any location above. The pattern that actually makes color: a clear horizon so light can reach the underside of some cloud higher up. Total overcast blocks it, totally clear skies just give flat light. This is a rule-of-thumb estimate from cloud-cover data, not a guarantee — always double check conditions before you drive out. Tap a spot on the map to see its temperature, wind, precipitation chance, golden/blue hour length, and any smoke/haze note.
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5-Day Sunset & Sunrise Outlook
Forecast estimate · weather models, refreshed through the day
The same cloud-layer scoring as tonight's forecast, run out five days for 14 areas around the state, so you can plan a weekend trip. Switch between sunsets and sunrises.
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Milky Way, Dark Sky & Aurora
Calculated · astronomy for the date and placeAurora uses the live NOAA Kp forecast.
Under about 25% moon illumination, moonlight is dim enough that it won't wash out the Milky Way's core — but a dark moon alone doesn't mean much if the core itself isn't up during dark hours. From Colorado's latitude, the bright galactic core is only above the horizon at night roughly February through October, and isn't visible at all for a real stretch of winter (roughly November through January) no matter how dark or moonless the sky is — that's Earth's own position in its orbit, not weather or light pollution. Both factors have to line up for a night to actually count as good for astro. Phase and season are both calculated directly, not pulled from a live feed, so they're exact regardless of weather — and apply the same everywhere in Colorado, including any location you search above. Aurora is a much longer shot here — Colorado sits well south of where the northern lights are normally visible, so even a "High" reading below means a real geomagnetic storm is forecast, not a sure thing. That reading comes from NOAA's live space weather forecast.
Briefly visible low in the west just after dusk, setting early.
Geomagnetic activity is at normal levels — aurora this far south is very unlikely.
No good astro window in the next 30 days — most likely because it's currently the part of the year when the galactic core isn't up during dark hours from Colorado, regardless of moon phase.
| Date | Phase | Illumination | Core season | Astro? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28 | Waning Gibbous | 89% | Marginal | — |
| Oct 29 | Waning Gibbous | 80% | Marginal | — |
| Oct 30 | Waning Gibbous | 70% | Marginal | — |
| Oct 31 | Waning Gibbous | 59% | Marginal | — |
| Nov 1 | Last Quarter | 47% | Not visible | — |
| Nov 2 | Last Quarter | 36% | Not visible | — |
| Nov 3 | Waning Crescent | 26% | Not visible | — |
Moonrise & Moonset Times and Directions
Calculated · astronomy for the date and place
When and where the moon comes up and goes down each day this week, with the nights when a bright moon lines up with sunset or sunrise highlighted. Calculated from the moon's orbit, so it's exact regardless of weather.
| Day | Moon | Moonrise | Moonset | Sunrise / sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Waning Gibbous 89% lit | 7:32 PM NE (53°) | 10:31 AM NW (306°) | 7:24 AM / 6:03 PM |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Waning Gibbous 81% lit | 8:34 PM NE (53°) | 11:41 AM NW (308°) | 7:25 AM / 6:02 PM |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Waning Gibbous 71% lit | 9:45 PM NE (55°) | 12:42 PM NW (307°) | 7:26 AM / 6:01 PM |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Waning Gibbous 60% lit | 11:00 PM ENE (59°) | 1:32 PM WNW (303°) | 7:27 AM / 5:59 PM |
| Sun, Nov 1 | Last Quarter 48% lit | none this day | 1:12 PM WNW (297°) | 6:28 AM / 4:58 PM |
| Mon, Nov 2 | Waning Crescent 36% lit | none this day | 1:45 PM WNW (289°) | 6:29 AM / 4:57 PM |
| Tue, Nov 3 | Waning Crescent 26% lit | 12:34 AM ENE (74°) | 2:12 PM WNW (281°) | 6:30 AM / 4:56 PM |
| Wed, Nov 4 | Waning Crescent 17% lit | 1:45 AM E (83°) | 2:37 PM W (273°) | 6:31 AM / 4:55 PM |
Times are for Denver; the rest of the state runs a few minutes to about 15 minutes later toward the west. Directions are compass bearings (90° is due east, 270° due west). The classic shot is a full or nearly full moon rising at dusk, when the sky and the landscape are still bright enough to hold detail. On the Front Range the moon rises over the plains, so shoot east from the foothills (Lookout Mountain, Red Rocks, Dinosaur Ridge) to put it over the Denver skyline. At dawn it sets over the Divide, so shoot west from the plains (Chatfield, Barr Lake, Sloan's Lake) with a long lens for a big moon over snowy peaks. Line up the moon from your exact spot with the Sun & Moon Planner →
Upcoming Meteor Showers
Calculated · astronomy for the date and place
Peak dates for annual showers are well established and don't drift year to year, unlike aspen color or wildflowers — the moon note below is the part worth checking before you plan around one.
Moon that night: 12% illuminated — Dark skies that night — good conditions to actually see it.
Moon that night: 12% illuminated — Dark skies that night — good conditions to actually see it.
Moon that night: 54% illuminated — Some moonlight that night, but fainter meteors may still show.
Fog & Inversion Chances (Sea of Clouds)
Forecast estimate · weather models, refreshed through the day
Odds of a valley fog or low-cloud deck at the next sunrise, with clear air above it at the overlook. It needs humid, calm air in the valley and an inversion (warmer air up high). A rule-of-thumb estimate from Open-Meteo forecast data, not a guarantee.
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Aspen Peak-Color Tracker
Seasonal window · typical timing, not live sightings
Based on typical historical peak windows for each spot — real conditions shift with the weather, so treat this as a starting point rather than a live feed. Want the short version? See this week's round-up.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 09-30. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-22 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 09-30. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-25 to 10-05. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-22 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 09-30. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-22 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-24 to 10-04. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 09-30. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-24 to 10-04. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-22 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-25 to 10-05. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-28 to 10-08. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 09-30. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-25 to 10-05. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 09-30. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-22 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-18 to 09-28. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-15 to 09-25. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 09-30. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-22 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Typical peak is 09-20 to 10-02. Check back closer to then.
Wildflower Bloom Tracker
Seasonal window · typical timing, not live sightings
Bloom season moves with elevation — lower meadows go first, alpine tundra weeks later — so this varies more spot to spot than aspen color does. Historical windows again, not a live feed. See this week's round-up.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 08-01. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-08 to 07-28. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-08 to 07-28. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-08 to 07-28. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-12 to 08-01. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-12 to 08-01. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-05 to 07-25. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-18 to 08-08. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-01 to 07-20. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 06-10 to 06-30. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-20 to 08-10. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-15 to 08-05. Check back closer to summer.
Typical peak is 07-10 to 07-30. Check back closer to summer.
Wildlife Sightings Tracker
Seasonal window · typical timing, not live sightings
Based on well-documented, typical timing for these events — animal behavior varies more year to year than plant phenology does, so treat this as a general guide rather than a guarantee. Want the short version? See this week's round-up.
Rams butting heads over ewes — Georgetown's resident herd is one of the more reliably visible bighorn populations in the state. Typically active 11-15 to 12-15.
The same cranes pass back through the valley heading south — typically a bit more spread out than the spring push, but still a reliable draw. Past the typical window, though timing varies year to year.
Bull elk bugling and sparring over mates — one of Colorado's most famous wildlife photography events, concentrated in RMNP's open meadows at dawn and dusk. Past the typical window, though timing varies year to year.
Colorado's growing moose population is most active and visible during rut, especially in willow-heavy river valleys like the Kawuneeche. Past the typical window, though timing varies year to year.
Tens of thousands of sandhill cranes stop over in the San Luis Valley on their way north — the same migration the annual Monte Vista Crane Festival is built around. Typical window is 02-15 to 03-15. Check back closer to then.
Mountain goats (and their kids, born in late spring) are commonly seen right along the summit road in summer — one of the easiest large-mammal sightings in the state. Typical window is 06-15 to 08-31. Check back closer to then.
Bears become active again after winter den season, typically staying active through fall before denning back up around November. This is general seasonal activity, not tied to one specific viewing spot. Typical window is 03-15 to 04-30. Check back closer to then.
Wintering bald eagles concentrate along open water corridors — Colorado Parks & Wildlife runs actual eagle-watching programs at Barr Lake during this window. Typical window is 12-01 to 02-15. Check back closer to then.
Male prairie chickens perform an elaborate mating dance on traditional "booming grounds" at dawn — a famous but under-the-radar photography subject, with CPW-guided viewing available in season. Typical window is 03-20 to 04-20. Check back closer to then.
Mountain Pass Status
Live feed · official sensors and reports
Seasonal roads that matter for photography. Status comes from live closure reports where they exist, plus each road's normal season. Always confirm on COtrip.org before you go.
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Live Webcams
Live feed · official sensors and reports
A quick look at real conditions before you drive: snow on the road, clouds on the peaks, or clear skies. Links open the official camera pages (ski-area cams can go dark between seasons).
Hundreds of CDOT cameras; search by highway or pass name.
Alpine Visitor Center on Trail Ridge Road, the entrances, Longs Peak and the Continental Divide.
Fresh snow and clouds on the Divide, right next to Loveland Pass.
Ski-area cams plus a CDOT camera on US 50.
Seven Falls and Manitou Springs live views.
Rim Rock Drive at the Saddlehorn Visitor Center.
Weather Alerts by Region
Live feed · official sensors and reports
Active National Weather Service warnings and advisories for the main photo areas. In summer, plan to be off exposed ridges and summits by noon; afternoon lightning is the biggest danger on Colorado peaks.
No active weather alerts for any of the photo regions right now.
Waterfall Flow Meter
Live feed · official sensors and reports
Live streamflow from the nearest USGS or state gauge, compared with that gauge's range over the past year. Peak runoff is usually late May through June; by fall many falls are a trickle.
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Snow on the Trail
Live feed · official sensors and reports
Snow depth at the nearest NRCS SNOTEL station to each high-elevation hike. Stations sit in sheltered spots, so treat this as a guide: if the station shows snow, expect drifts on the trail too, and bring microspikes.
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Avalanche Danger
Live feed · official sensors and reports
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center's current rating. Matters for winter and spring trips anywhere near steep, snowy slopes.
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Conditions change fast in the mountains and every feed here can lag or be wrong. Use this as a starting point, and check the official sources linked in each section before you head out.