Mogollon — a ghost town in Catron County, New Mexico — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Gila National Forest. It sits roughly 84 km (53 mi) NW of Silver City. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mogollon, also called the Mogollon Historic District, is a former mining town located in the Mogollon Mountains in Catron County, New Mexico, United States. Located east of Glenwood and Alma, it was founded in the 1880s at the bottom of Silver Creek Canyon to support the gold and silver mines in the surrounding mountains. The "Little Fannie" mine became the most important employer for the town. During the 1890s, Mogollon had a transient population of between 3,000 and 6,000 miners. Because of its isolation, it had a reputation as one of the wildest mining towns in the West. Today Mogollon is listed as Fannie Hill Mill and Company Town Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Mogollon, New Mexico”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mogollon 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 61° ENE | 8:29 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 118° ESE | 5:12 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Mogollon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 5:56 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 4:35 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:20 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:53 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:47 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.7 | 17° | 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 76 | 82 | 94 | 98 | 100 | 95 | 92 | 84 | 74 | 67 |
| Low °F | -10 | -4 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 37 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 18 | 12 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Mogollon, closest first.
Natural Arch
Wilderness Area
Fire Lookout
Dark Sky Place
Hot SpringHot Spring
Fire LookoutFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mogollon?
What time is golden hour at Mogollon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mogollon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mogollon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mogollon?
How far is Mogollon from Silver City?
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.