Located in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, Bonanza City is a ghost town at about 1,837 m (6,027 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is La Cienega, about 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away (Bonanza City lies SE of town).
Bonanza City is a ghost town, located 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Santa Fe in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. The town was founded in 1880 as a mining town, following the discovery of gold and silver in the nearby Cerrillos Hills. It was abandoned sometime in the early 1900s. Later in the 20th century, The Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, which contains a movie set depicting a late 19th century mining town, was built near the ruins of Bonanza City.From the Wikipedia article “Bonanza City, New Mexico”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bonanza City 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.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 60° ENE | 8:24 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Bonanza City, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:28 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.74 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
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.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 65 | 70 | 79 | 86 | 97 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 73 | 64 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 13 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 48 | 31 | 18 | 11 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 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 ghost town
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Bonanza City, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bonanza City?
What time is golden hour at Bonanza City?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bonanza City?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bonanza City?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bonanza City?
How far is Bonanza City from La Cienega?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.