Wranglers Roost is a ghost town in Maricopa County, Arizona. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) ENE of New River.
Wranglers Roost Stagecoach Stop is located in New River, Maricopa County, Arizona. It was a stagecoach stop for a short time in the late 1800s. In 1930, Carl Jesse Myers (called himself Chief Myers) built WR in the 1930s as a dude ranch. The dude ranch was successful all through the 1930s when times were tough. The original rock structure was added onto in the late 1960s and became a resort with a pool, hot tub, restaurant and some hotel accommodations. The current owners, Reid and Heidi Stewart, also rent the structure for the celebrations of weddings.From the Wikipedia article “Wranglers Roost Stagecoach Stop”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wranglers Roost the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 61° ENE | 7:43 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:27 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 118° ESE | 5:24 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Wranglers Roost, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:20 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:26 PM – 3:26 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:01 PM – 10:01 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.3 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 85 | 87 | 98 | 105 | 112 | 121 | 120 | 117 | 115 | 106 | 97 | 85 |
| Low °F | 22 | 23 | 33 | 38 | 48 | 60 | 68 | 67 | 57 | 41 | 29 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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 ghost town
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Wranglers Roost, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wranglers Roost?
What time is golden hour at Wranglers Roost?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wranglers Roost?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wranglers Roost?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wranglers Roost?
How far is Wranglers Roost from New River?
Sources
Location data: 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.