Last Dollar Road
San Juan Mountains, Colorado · 10,676 ft
The dirt road climbs out of the Telluride valley through aspen groves to a 10,676-foot saddle with the Sneffels Range on one side and Wilson Peak on the other. Split-rail fence, ranch gates, and narrow bands of trees supply the foreground the paved overlooks lack.
Typical peak
Sep 14 – Sep 22
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Crowds
moderate
Fills up mid-morning. Arriving for first light is usually enough.
Getting there
Last Dollar Road (San Miguel County Road 58P / Forest Road 638) leaves CO 145 near the Telluride airport and runs 22 dirt miles north to CO 62.
What turns here
- quaking aspen
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 18Typical color progression for Last Dollar Road. No change from Aug 11 to Aug 28. First color from Aug 28 to Sep 6. Approaching peak from Sep 6 to Sep 14. Peak from Sep 14 to Sep 22. Past peak from Sep 22 to Oct 2. Bare from Oct 2 to Oct 16.
Color starts around Aug 28.
Light at peak
Last Dollar Road on September 18, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:29 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 87° | 6:56 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light | 7:30 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:06 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset | 6:41 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 273° | 7:15 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:42 PM |
Times in America/Denver · day length 12h 20m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.