Fort Union National Monument is a National Monument in New Mexico. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 1 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Fort Union
We matched 1 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Fort Union. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Dark Sky Places (1)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Fort Union 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 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 244° | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:42 PM | 255° | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 283° | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 294° | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 300° | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 298° | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 288° | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 274° | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:26 PM | 260° | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:54 PM | 248° | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 242° | 9h 44m |
Computed for the park's reference point (35.9070, -105.0145); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Fort Union, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 4:48 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 1:54 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:09 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.7 | 22° |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
2 Estimated Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars.
Weather & best time to visit
Fort Union is situated at 6,760 feet above sea level. Daytime temperatures between June and September may exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter temperatures often drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures may vary within 50 degrees in a 24-hour period. During the winter, it is not uncommon for the temperatures to drop below 0°F (-18°C.) During the summer, expect high temperatures, intense sunlight and extremely low humidity.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Getting there
Fort Union National Monument is located in the Northeastern portion of the state of New Mexico. 8 miles off of Interstate I-25 on State Highway NM 161. New Mexico: From Albuquerque (156 miles), Santa Fe (94 miles) or Las Vegas, NM (28 miles) take I-25 North, exit 366 at Watrous, 8 miles on NM 161. Colorado: From Denver (313 miles), Colorado Springs (243 miles) or Raton (95 miles) take I-25 South, exit 366 at Watrous, 8 miles on NM 161.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Living History
- Historic Weapons Demonstration
- Junior Ranger Program
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
Nearby parks
NM
NM/WA
NM
NM
NM
NM