Located in Cochise County, Arizona, Chiricahua National Monument is a dark sky place. It lies in or next to Chiricahua National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 52 km (33 mi) ESE of Willcox. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Chiricahua National Monument is a unit of the National Park System located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The monument was established on April 18, 1924, to protect its extensive hoodoos and balancing rocks. The Faraway Ranch, which was owned at one time by Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson, is also preserved within the monument. Just over 85% of the monument is protected as the Chiricahua National Monument Wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Chiricahua National Monument”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chiricahua National Monument the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:22 AM | 90° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 62° ENE | 7:27 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:06 AM | 89° E | 6:16 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 118° ESE | 5:18 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:04 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:24 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 5:38 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:34 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:49 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 5:57 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 04m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Chiricahua National Monument, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:52 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:51 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:05 PM – 3:25 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:02 PM – 2:02 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:31 PM – 12:01 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:47 PM – 9:57 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:07 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 74 | 82 | 87 | 96 | 106 | 109 | 111 | 106 | 103 | 96 | 85 | 76 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 21 | 29 | 35 | 48 | 62 | 61 | 46 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this dark sky place
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Chiricahua National Monument, closest first.
Canyon
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire LookoutScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallNatural ArchWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bonita Canyon Campground623 m · reservable
- Portal Ccc House22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Portal Bunkhouse22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Camp Rucker Group Site28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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Where does the sun rise and set at Chiricahua National Monument?
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Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via Wikidata), Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.