Best Landscape Photography Locations in Colorado

Colorado's Rocky Mountain landscapes include dozens of peaks over 14,000 feet, alpine lakes, and high-altitude terrain that puts distance between you and ground-level haze. Away from the Front Range cities, this altitude also produces some of the darkest skies available in the contiguous United States.

By Robert Bridgewater · Last updated July 29, 2026

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Chasm Lake (Eastern Edge)

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 3,598 m elevation

Ohio Pass, Colorado

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 3,051 m elevation

Sprague Lake

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,648 m elevation

Grand canyon blue

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 2,132 m elevation

Sunset Lookout at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Beach

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,435 m elevation

Mayflower Gulch Trail

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
Valley or low-lying terrain · 3,521 m elevation

Arthur's Rock, Lory State Park, Colorado

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
Elevated terrain · 2,033 m elevation

Ice Lake

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Varied terrain nearby, significant relief · 3,738 m elevation

Mesa Verde, Cliff Palace

Cliff Coast

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,057 m elevation

Telluride - Colorado

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,849 m elevation

Trail Ridge Road overlook

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 2,943 m elevation

Mt. Antero

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,384 m elevation

Monument Canyon View Overlook

Valley

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
Elevated terrain · 1,812 m elevation

View of Mt. Sneffels from County Road 5 south of Ridgway, CO

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,777 m elevation

Beaver Lake in Fall

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 2,434 m elevation

Moraine Park – Rocky Mountain National Park

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,440 m elevation

Twin Lakes

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,807 m elevation

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Beach

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,342 m elevation

Rainbow curve overlook

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 3,296 m elevation

Devils Thumb Ranch

Mountain

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,608 m elevation

Lake Haiyaha

Lake

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Valley or low-lying terrain · 3,107 m elevation

Lava Cliffs Overlook

Cliff Coast

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 3,684 m elevation

Gd.Canyon south rim

Valley

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 2,086 m elevation

Black Canyon Trail, Gunnison National Park

River

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Elevated, dramatic terrain — ridge or summit position · 2,419 m elevation

Last-$-Road

Landscape

Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
Flat or gently rolling terrain · 2,701 m elevation

Planning a night out at one of these locations? Use the free Milky Way Calendar to check moon phase and dark-sky windows, or read the Blue Hour & Star Trail Photography Guide for how to plan the shoot itself.

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