Black Mesa is a rock formation in Cimarron County, Oklahoma. The nearest town is Boise City, about 49 km (30 mi) away (Black Mesa lies WNW of town).
Black Mesa is a mesa located in an area covering parts of the U.S. states of Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. It extends from Mesa de Maya, Colorado southeasterly 28 miles (45 km) crossing into the northeast corner of New Mexico, and ending in the Oklahoma panhandle along the north bank of the Cimarron River at its confluence with the North Carrizo Creek near Kenton. Its highest elevation is 5,705 feet (1,739 m) in Colorado. The highest point of Black Mesa within New Mexico is 5,239 feet (1,597 m). In northwestern Cimarron County, Oklahoma, Black Mesa reaches 4,973 feet (1,516 m), the highest point in the state of Oklahoma. The plateau that formed at the top of the mesa has been known as a "geological wonder" of North America. There is abundant wildlife in this shortgrass prairie environment, including mountain lions, butterflies, and the Texas horned lizard. (In Colorado,...From the Wikipedia article “Black Mesa (Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Mesa 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:56 AM | 90° E | 8:04 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 60° ENE | 9:15 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:41 AM | 89° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 119° ESE | 5:40 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 7:36 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:44 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:28 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:38 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:38 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:26 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:45 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:42 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:35 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 39m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Black Mesa, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | 5:50 AM – 6:10 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:56 AM – 6:26 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 11:06 PM – 4:36 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:21 PM – 1:11 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:29 PM – 11:09 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:43 PM – 9:13 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (55%). 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 | 76 | 82 | 88 | 95 | 101 | 108 | 107 | 106 | 101 | 93 | 85 | 75 |
| Low °F | 5 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 30 | 43 | 54 | 51 | 34 | 17 | 12 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Black Mesa, closest first.
Natural Arch
State ParkNatural Arch
CanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Mesa?
What time is golden hour at Black Mesa?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Mesa?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Mesa?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Mesa?
How far is Black Mesa from Boise 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.