Located in Socorro County, New Mexico, Cibola National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is Alamo, about 16.4 km (10.2 mi) away (Cibola National Forest lies SSE of town).
The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, US. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name was later interpreted by the Spanish to mean "buffalo". The forest is disjointed with lands spread across central and northern New Mexico, west Texas and Oklahoma. The Cibola National Forest is divided into four Ranger Districts: the Sandia, Mountainair, Mt. Taylor, and Magdalena. The Forest includes the San Mateo, Magdalena, Datil, Bear, Gallina, Manzano, Sandia, Mt. Taylor, and Zuni Mountains of west-central New Mexico. The Forest also manages four National Grasslands that stretch from northeastern New Mexico eastward into the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. The Cibola National Forest and Grassland is administered by Region 3 of the United...From the Wikipedia article “Cibola National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cibola 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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 61° ENE | 8:26 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 118° ESE | 5:04 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 53m |
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 Cibola National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | 4:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 4:09 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:45 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:43 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:40 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: 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 ≈ 21.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 30% 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 | 65 | 72 | 77 | 86 | 96 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 87 | 74 | 67 |
| Low °F | 2 | -3 | 13 | 21 | 26 | 38 | 53 | 49 | 33 | 16 | 10 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cibola National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Cibola National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cibola National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cibola National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cibola National Forest?
How far is Cibola National Forest from Alamo?
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.