Fajada Butte is a rock formation in San Juan County, New Mexico. The nearest town is Crownpoint, about 44 km (27 mi) away (Fajada Butte lies NNE of town).
Fajada Butte is a butte in Chaco Culture National Historical Park, in northwest New Mexico. Fajada Butte (Banded Butte) rises 135 meters above the canyon floor. Although there is no water source on the butte, there are ruins of small cliff dwellings in the higher regions of the butte. Analysis of fragments of pottery found on Fajada show that these structures were used between the 10th to 13th centuries. The remains of a 95-meter-high, 230-meter-long ramp are evident on the southwestern face of the butte (Ford 1993, p. 478). The magnitude of this building project, without an apparent utilitarian purpose, indicates that Fajada Butte may have had considerable ceremonial importance for the Chacoan people.From the Wikipedia article “Fajada Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fajada Butte 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 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 60° ENE | 8:32 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 119° ESE | 5:02 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 42m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 44m |
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 Fajada Butte, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:22 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:38 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:28 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 60 | 65 | 78 | 83 | 96 | 99 | 101 | 97 | 94 | 83 | 72 | 60 |
| Low °F | -4 | -4 | 8 | 19 | 23 | 35 | 49 | 46 | 28 | 13 | 8 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 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 rock formation
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Fajada Butte, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Dark Sky Place
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fajada Butte?
What time is golden hour at Fajada Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fajada Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fajada Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fajada Butte?
How far is Fajada Butte from Crownpoint?
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.