Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark — a rock formation in Mora County, New Mexico — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Las Vegas, about 66 km (41 mi) away (Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark lies NE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Wagon Mound is a butte that was a major landmark for pioneers along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Old Santa Fe Trail, a well-known settlement route connecting St. Louis, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is located just east of Wagon Mound, New Mexico, a village named after the butte. The butte is a designated National Historic Landmark, along with Santa Clara Canyon, a site just northwest of the village where travelers on the trail frequently camped and took on water.From the Wikipedia article “Wagon Mound”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark 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) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 60° ENE | 8:20 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 119° ESE | 4:49 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 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 Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark, 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 | 4:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:53 AM – 4:53 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:59 PM – 4:09 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:02 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:25 PM – 12:25 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:20 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 66 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 98 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 95 | 87 | 78 | 69 |
| Low °F | 4 | -7 | 6 | 14 | 23 | 36 | 49 | 47 | 29 | 14 | 10 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark, closest first.
FAQ
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What time is golden hour at Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark?
How far is Wagon Mound National Historic Landmark from Las Vegas?
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.