Baldy Mountain is a mountain peak in Colfax County, New Mexico at about 3,765 m (12,352 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) NNE of Angel Fire.
Baldy Mountain (official name), Baldy Peak, Mount Baldy, or Old Baldy is the highest peak in the Cimarron Range, a subrange of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico. It is located in Colfax County, about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Eagle Nest. It rises abruptly, with 3,640 feet (1,110 m) of vertical relief (in 3 miles/4.8 km), from the Moreno Valley to the west and has a total elevation of 12,441 feet (3,792 m).From the Wikipedia article “Baldy Mountain (Colfax County, New Mexico)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Baldy Mountain 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 60° ENE | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 119° ESE | 4:49 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 40m |
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 Baldy Mountain, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:04 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:14 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (55%). 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 | 58 | 58 | 70 | 77 | 91 | 95 | 96 | 90 | 90 | 80 | 69 | 56 |
| Low °F | -8 | -11 | 0 | 17 | 19 | 31 | 45 | 40 | 25 | 13 | 5 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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 mountain peak
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Baldy Mountain, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cimarron Campground15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Mccrystal Campground18.7 km (11.6 mi)
- Junebug Campground22 km (13 mi)
- Elephant Rock Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Fawn Lakes Campground23 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Baldy Mountain?
What time is golden hour at Baldy Mountain?
Where does the sun rise and set at Baldy Mountain?
Can you see the Milky Way from Baldy Mountain?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Baldy Mountain?
How far is Baldy Mountain from Angel Fire?
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.