Dusk Near Brown Lakes
DUSK NEAR BROWN LAKEs
Near Lake City, CO
This is a beautiful vista of the southwest Colorado range. The Aspens along with the old fence, lake, and far away mountains provide a sense of the open range of years past.
I came upon this place after leaving the beautiful North Creek Falls just a mile away. You can capture both locations in a single afternoon / evening.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
Trail Difficulty - EASY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The location of this shot is an easy 20 ft. walk from a highway pull off on CO-149 between Creede, CO and Lake City, CO. However, the location is a long way from any large town.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
11,129 ft Elevation
Downloads
Photography Tips
The shot is fairly straightforward. Just finding the best light or sunset would make it special.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to Dusk Near Brown Lakes parking area
The following directions are from South Fork, CO (to the east) and Lake City, CO (from the west). Both are small towns in Southwest Colorado). The closest larger towns are Alomosa, CO (about 95 miles east) or Gunnison, CO (about 80 miles north).
From South Fork, travel 23 miles west on CO-149 to the little town of Creede. From Creede, continue on CO-149 N for 25 miles and the…
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EXIF Data
Focal Length – 24 mm
Exposure – 10th sec @ f 8.0
ISO – 100
Date – June 20th
Time – 8:40 pm
Best Time of Day to Shoot
This shot is great at sunset or late afternoon.
Best Time of Year
This location is nice in the spring and summer when the grass and the Aspen trees are green. It is also a nice shot in the fall as most of the trees in the scene will turn golden.
SPECIAL NOTE: this location is over 11,000 elevation and WILL TURN COLORS before others in Colorado by a week or so.
Lens(es) Needed
The shot above was taken with a 24mm lens.
Birds-Eye View
Permits
There are no permit required at this location.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of the shot is southwest around 220°.
Equipment Needed
No need for any special photography equipment unless you plan on doing a panoramic shot.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
This spot is off of the beaten path for most photographers - there may be a few other tourist or photographers at this location.
Weather
The weather in Colorado is normally mild in the summer and cold (lows in the 20’s) in the spring and fall. Having never been to this location in the winter, I am not sure the road is open or maintained that time of year.
Cell Service
I use Verizon and there was limited cell service at this location. However, there is cell service on the road back to South Fork or Lake City.
Lodging & Camping
There are 2 nice small campgrounds within a few miles of this location (see USDA reservation website). However, they have limited openings:
The nearest lodging is in Lake City (26 miles west) or South Fork (23 miles east). Both are nice towns with lodging and restaurants. Lake City is a very small town that closes up early. South Fork is a larger town with more variety of lodging.
Nearby camping and lodging
Camping - click on the campground below for directions
Area Guides and Workshops
None