Located in Yavapai County, Arizona, Prescott National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is Chino Valley, about 10.0 km (6.2 mi) away (Prescott National Forest lies SSE of town).
The Prescott National Forest is a 1.25 million-acre (510,000 ha) United States National Forest located in north central Arizona in the vicinity of Prescott. The forest is located in the mountains southwest of Flagstaff and north of Phoenix in Yavapai County, with a small portion (about 3.5 percent) extending into southwestern Coconino County. The Forest Service divides the forest into 3 administrative districts. The northern section of the forest is the Chino Valley Ranger District, the southwest section is the Bradshaw Ranger District, and the southeast section is the Verde Ranger District. Central administrative offices are in Prescott with local ranger district offices in Camp Verde, Chino Valley, and Prescott.From the Wikipedia article “Prescott National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Prescott National Forest 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:34 AM | 90° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 61° ENE | 7:47 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:18 AM | 89° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 118° ESE | 5:23 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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
Forests suit soft light — overcast days reduce contrast under the canopy, and morning fog adds depth.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Prescott National Forest, 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:21 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:52 PM – 12:02 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:04 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:20 PM – 8:00 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: 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 ≈ 20.73 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (45%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 84 | 91 | 99 | 109 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 94 | 83 | 73 |
| Low °F | 2 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 33 | 43 | 54 | 50 | 40 | 25 | 20 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
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 national forest
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Dispersed camping is often allowed, which makes sunrise and night shoots easier — check local rules.
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
Suggested gear: Polarizer, Tripod, Offline maps, Insect repellent. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Recreational drones are generally allowed in national forests outside designated wilderness, subject to FAA rules and temporary flight restrictions — wildfire TFRs are common in summer.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Prescott National Forest, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaScenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Yavapai Campground14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Alto Pit Ohv Campground16.3 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Thumb Butte16.8 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Lynx Campground17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Eagle Ridge Group Campground18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Prescott National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Prescott National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Prescott National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Prescott National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Prescott National Forest?
How far is Prescott National Forest from Chino Valley?
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.