Enchanted Hills is a city of about 87,521 people in Sandoval County, New Mexico, at 1,500 m (4,921 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:17 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:51 PM – 6:42 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 47m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Enchanted Hills
At Enchanted Hills the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Enchanted Hills
37 photo locations lie within 80 km of Enchanted Hills. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Enchanted Hills is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Fajada Butte, about 141 km (88 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fajada Butte | Rock Formation | 141 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Fajada Gap | Mountain Pass | 141 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Chaco Culture National Historical Park | Dark Sky Place | 148 km (92 mi) | 1 |
| Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 151 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| El Morro National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 163 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Woodpecker Arch | Natural Arch | 164 km (102 mi) | 1 |
| Maxson Crater | Volcano | 166 km (103 mi) | 1 |
| Ocate Peak | Mountain Peak | 168 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.