Located in Otero County, New Mexico, Lincoln National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is Alamogordo, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Lincoln National Forest lies ESE of town).
Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service located in southern New Mexico. The Lincoln National Forest covers an extensive 1.1 million acres in southeastern New Mexico. Established by Presidential Proclamation in 1902 as the Lincoln Forest Reserve, the 1,103,897 acres (4,467.31 km2) forest begins near the Texas border and contains lands in parts of Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, and Otero counties. The Lincoln National Forest is home to three major mountain ranges: Sacramento, Guadalupe and Capitan. The three Ranger Districts within the forest contain all or part of a total of four mountain ranges, and include a variety of different environmental areas, from desert to heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands. Clean air, water, and soil are necessary elements that the National Forests contribute to the environment. Established to balance conservation, resource...From the Wikipedia article “Lincoln National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lincoln 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 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 61° ENE | 8:15 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:02 AM | 118° ESE | 5:01 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Lincoln 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:59 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 4:20 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:55 PM – 4:05 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:51 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:19 PM – 12:39 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:44 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.8 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 75 | 83 | 91 | 98 | 104 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 89 | 77 | 69 |
| Low °F | 15 | 1 | 16 | 25 | 31 | 49 | 54 | 51 | 42 | 19 | 19 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Lincoln National Forest, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Black Bear Group Area11.2 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Sleepy Grass13.1 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Deerhead Campground13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Slide Group Area13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Upper Fir Group Area14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lincoln National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Lincoln National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lincoln National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lincoln National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lincoln National Forest?
How far is Lincoln National Forest from Alamogordo?
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.