Located in Taos County, New Mexico, Wheeler Peak is a mountain peak at about 4,012 m (13,163 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 14.3 km (8.9 mi) ENE of Arroyo Seco.
Wheeler Peak is the highest natural point in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is located northeast of Taos and south of Red River in the northern part of the state, and just 2 miles (3.2 km) southeast of the ski slopes of Taos Ski Valley. It lies in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. The peak's elevation is 13,167 feet (4,013 m). Formerly named Taos Peak, after the nearby town of Taos, New Mexico, it was renamed Wheeler Peak in 1950. A plaque at the summit states that the mountain was: Named in honor of Major George Montague Wheeler (1832–1909) who for ten years led a party of surveyors and naturalists collecting geologic, biologic, planimetric and topographic data in New Mexico and six other southwestern states. The mountain contains Blue Lake, a sacred emergence site for the people of Taos Pueblo. The Taos call the mountain móxwoluną...From the Wikipedia article “Wheeler Peak (New Mexico)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wheeler Peak 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) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 60° ENE | 8:24 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:50 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 | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Wheeler Peak, 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 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:06 AM – 5:46 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 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.3 | 25° | 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 | 7:53 PM – 8:23 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 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
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- 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.
- 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 Wheeler Peak, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
State Park
State Park
Mountain PassMountain Pass
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Columbine Campground (Nm)16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- La Bobita Campground16.8 km (10.5 mi)
- Junebug Campground16.9 km (10.5 mi)
- Elephant Rock Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Fawn Lakes Campground18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wheeler Peak?
What time is golden hour at Wheeler Peak?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wheeler Peak?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wheeler Peak?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wheeler Peak?
How far is Wheeler Peak from Arroyo Seco?
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.