Rocky Mountain National Park Milky Way

Rocky Mountain National Park Milky Way Photography

Hot Spot Location

MILKY WAY- NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY LOCATION

Rocky Mountain National Park contains some of the darkest skies in the lower 48. Astrophotographers and Milky Way photographers flock to this area at the right time of year. This ultimate location brings dark skies and jaw-dropping photography. You can see our suggestions about where to stay below. The image of the Milky Way over the lake is right outside your door in Colorado Cabin Adventure.

What is most impressive about this location is the ability to see Moose, Elk, and Milky Way. Rocky Mountain National Park is so dark you can walk just a few steps from your cabin and easily photograph the Milky Way. While you are here, check our links below to see the best time of year to do Milky Way photography.

Furthermore, don’t screw up on this part. The Milky Way core is only visible on certain months of the year on certain days of the month. You will also need to know what time of night the Milky Way rises above the horizon. SEE BELOW.

In conclusion, put Rocky Mountain National Park on your list of places to do Milky Way Photography this year.

WHERE TO PHOTOGRAPH THE MILKY WAY

MORAINE PARK

Moraine Park is a hidden gem nestled in the breathtaking landscapes of Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s a dream destination for stargazers, offering unobstructed night sky views and stunning mountain vistas. The park gates are open to all, allowing you to immerse yourself in the vast expanse of celestial wonders while surrounded by nature’s beauty. Just a short drive from Estes Park, Moraine Park is easily accessible yet secluded enough to provide optimal conditions for stargazing. With minimal light pollution and expansive sightlines, this picturesque location offers a front-row seat to witness the magnificent display of stars on a clear night. For an unforgettable experience under the stars, Moraine Park is undoubtedly one of the top spots to visit in Rocky Mountain National Park.

To reach Moraine Park, you must take Bear Lake Road.

SPRAGUE LAKE

Sprague Lake boasts a convenient location, making it a top choice for Milky Way photographers by night and nature lovers and hikers by day. Just a short drive from the charming town of Estes Park, the lake is easily accessible, with ample parking nearby. No need to trek for miles – step out of your car and immerse yourself in the serene beauty of this breathtaking destination.

Distance: 0.8-mile round trip.
Type of Trail: Easy

BEAR LAKE

The stunning vista transforms into a stargazer’s paradise, offering unobstructed views of twinkling stars and planets. For a unique experience, take a nighttime hike up Bear Lake Trail.

Distance: .25 miles each way
Elevation Gain: 20 feet
Type of Trail: Easy
Bear Lake Trail Guide – Summer

ALL OVER THE PARK

This park is dark-sky territory. Scout it out during the day while photographing the park. HERE IS A PARK MAP.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO GO?

Months: The Milky Way Core can be seen from March to October, disappearing below the horizon for the rest of the year. It appears in the early morning hours in March and becomes visible earlier each month. The best time to catch a glimpse of the core is during summer, when it can be seen immediately after sunset, providing an ideal viewing opportunity for stargazers and photographers.

New Moon: Timing is crucial to see the Milky Way. This celestial event can only be seen on clear nights without a visible moon, limiting the window for viewing.

Light Pollution: The best way to experience the full wonder of the Milky Way is to escape from areas with heavy light pollution. However, it may be possible to see some faint traces of the galaxy from places with mild artificial lighting; the most spectacular views can be found in remote locations far from cities and civilizations. Check out our How to Section for more details, including using a light pollution map to guide you to dark sky locations.

HOW LONG TO PHOTOGRAPH THIS AREA?

This area can be explored and photographed in just a few hours. You will want to pair this up with other great photography locations.

WHAT PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR SHOULD I BRING?

A Camera with a wide-angle lens.
A zoom lens for wildlife photography during the day.
Tripod – For shooting flowers in aperture priority mode.
Shutter release
Polarizing Filter
Milky Way’s list is below.

WHAT ESLE SHOULD I BRING?

Water and Snacks
Bug repellent
Warm clothes – temperatures drop drastically.

HOW DO I GET THERE?

Address for your GPS: 1000 US Hwy 36, Estes Park, CO 80517

HOW BUSY DOES IT GET?

Summer is a hectic time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, as most visitors come between May and October. We went during the Elk rut in October, which was not bad.

ANYTHING ELSE?

They have a Hiker Shuttle; all passengers must book tickets in advance through www.recreation.gov. Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and each party member must have a ticket. BOOK RESERVATION HERE.

A $2 processing fee applies to each reservation, covering up to 4 Hiker Shuttle Tickets for a maximum of 4 individuals, regardless of age.

PHOTOGRAPHY T-SHIRTS & MORE

Think Tank Camera Bags

The only bag we use!

SURVIVAL FOOD

GEAR LIST FOR SHOOTING MILKY WAY

LIGHT POLLUTION MAP:

Light pollution map

CAMERA:

You will need a camera to manually control your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

LENS:

A fast, wide-angle lens of 1.4 – 2.8 is ideal. If you use a 3.5 or higher (slower lens), you must increase the ISO. The higher the ISO, the more grain or digital noise or grain will appear in your photos.

TRIOPD:

A good, sturdy tripod is essential for night photography. If it gets windy, you will need a sturdy one. Remember that when you buy one, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the wind but small enough to fit in your suitcase.

SKY MAP:

Sky Guide is available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. It has a 5 out of 5-star rating on both the current (3.2) version (1200+ ratings) and all previous versions (8600+ ratings).

FLASHLIGHT:

Our choice is Coast brand for flashlights. The ideal flashlight will have high lumens, and you can zoom in and out on the light emitting from the flashlight. Get the HP7, PX45, or the G50. Ideally, go with the HP7.

MOON PHAZE MAP:

The best time to go is during a new moon; you want to be in the darkest area possible. The week before the new moon, when the moon has not risen, is a perfect time to go, so be sure to check the moonrise chart to see when the moon will be up.

REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE:

When painting with light and over a 30-second exposure, you must have a shutter release to use your bulb mode. When exposing your pictures in general, you can use the remote release or your camera’s built-in two-second timer.

CAMERA SETTINGS FOR MILKY WAY

ISO:

Start with ISO 1600 – 3200. This is a common starting point, and you will adjust from here.

Shutter Speed – Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. We want crisp, non-star trail images. Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.

APERTURE:

Depth of field isn’t critical on these shots, but letting light into the camera is; therefore, you should shoot wide open if. If the depth of field is essential to you, try not to go too high. (Wide open =the lowest aperture your camera will allow.) You will have to increase the ISO a little, which will give you digital noise.

SHUTTER SPEED:

Now that the ISO and aperture are set in manual mode roll your shutter speed until your meter reads (0) zero. Take a test shot and adjust from there. Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. You can create star trails specifically, but that’s not what we are going for here since we started with Milky Way photography. We want crisp, non-star trail images when doing this.

Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.

WHITE BALANCE:

In live view mode, you can change your white balance settings and see what they look like. You can also shoot in shade or cloud mode as a standard setting and adjust things later when editing.

LIVE VIEW:

To focus in the dark, use your camera’s live view, hit the zoom button, and focus on a bright star. You can also use the infinity setting on your lens, but do several test shots to determine accuracy. It can be off a little on some lenses. You can also light it up with a flashlight, focus, then gently, without touching the focus ring, put the camera in manual focus so it will not search for the focus. You must do this each time you move your camera to take your next angel.

WHEN TO VIEW THE MILKY WAY:

The best images are usually of the dense part of the Milky Way. We can see this part of the milk way in the southern sky. During March, April, and May, the Milky Way rises above the horizon in the pre-dawn hours. In June, at about 10:00 p.m., you will see the Milky Way. From July until October, you can see the Milky Way as soon as it sunsets, and it becomes dark enough to see about an hour after sunset. In November, the Milky Way no longer comes above the horizon. You will have to wait until March if you want to stay away really late or get up early to see her again.

See our Milky Way Hot Spot Locator and our Night Photography Information.

PRIVATE JET PHOTO TOURS

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK INFO

Entrance Fees Rocky Mountain National Park: There is no entrance fee.

1000 US Hwy 36
Estes Park, CO 80517

The park has gone cashless – We don’t participate with any organization that does not allow cash, but there is still a cash option here. You can still buy most park entrance passes from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy Nature Store at either Beaver Meadows, Fall River, or Kawuneeche Visitor Centers.

Fight back against central bank digital currency – digital slavery and bring your cash!

A park pass is required to enter. 1-Day Vehicle Entrance Pass $30.00 – MORE PARK INFORMATION.

WHERE TO CAMP

Rocky Mountain National Park Milky Way Photography

Add your campground here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your campground to stay during their ghost-hunting trip? Put your campground information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number and your information on your campground to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are really good at getting there in the dark.

Would you like to be featured in an article as a place to stay while doing photography or ghost hunting? If so, please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS

Add your hotel here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost hunting friends to your hotel for their ghost hunting trip? Put your hotel information here. We will put a picture of your hotel, the website link, the phone number and your information on your hotel.

Would you like to be a featured hotel like this article or this one? Please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.

Colorado Cabin Adventures

Chris Tran
Owner

Phone: 703-389-7373

12082 US Highway 34
Grand Lake, Colorado 80447

Inn on Falls River

Top places to stay – On the west side of the park – Colorado Cabin Adventures
1660 Fall River Road
Estes Park, CO 80517
(970) 586-4118
(800) 255-4118

RESTAURANT INFOMATION

Add your Restaurant here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your restaurant after their ghost-hunting trip? Put your restaurant information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number and your information on your restaurant to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are really good at getting there in the dark.

AREA WEATHER

Don’t forget that you can use a rain sleeve on your camera if it is raining. If it is bright and sunny, you want to use a low ISO such as 100.

If you are doing photography along with your ghost hunting on cloudy days, you can do running water or waterfall photography to avoid the glaring sun. You can also use an ND filter to get a long exposure for dramatic effects, even in the sunshine. If you ghost hunt indoors in abandoned places, be careful!

Go to our Photography Store after reading all about waterfall photography or neutral density filters.

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