Gila National Forest — a national forest in Catron County, New Mexico — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Silver City, about 81 km (50 mi) away (Gila National Forest lies NNW of town).
The Gila National Forest is a United States national forest in New Mexico. Established in 1905, it now covers approximately 2,710,659 acres (10,969.65 km2), making it the sixth largest national forest in the continental United States. The Forest administration also manage the part of the Apache National Forest in New Mexico which covers 614,202 acres for a total of 3.3 million acres managed by the Gila National Forest. Within the forest, the Gila Wilderness was established in 1924 as the US's first designated wilderness. The Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Blue Range Wilderness are also found within its borders. The Blue Range Primitive Area lies within Arizona in the neighboring Apache National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Gila National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gila 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 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) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 61° ENE | 8:28 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 118° ESE | 5:11 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
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:25 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:25 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 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 Gila National Forest, 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:55 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 5:12 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:54 PM – 4:34 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:55 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:52 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:46 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:44 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 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Gila National Forest, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
Wilderness Area
Dark Sky Place
Cave
Cave
CaveFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gila National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Gila National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gila National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gila National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gila National Forest?
How far is Gila National Forest 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.