Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort — a state park in Clark County, Nevada — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 700 m NNE of Las Vegas. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park is a state park of Nevada. It contains the Old Mormon Fort (completed 1855), the first permanent structure built in what would become Las Vegas fifty years later. In present-day Las Vegas, the site is at the southeast corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue, less than one mile north of the downtown area and Fremont Street. This is the only U.S. state park located in a city that houses the first building ever built in that city. The fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 1, 1972. The site is memorialized with a tablet erected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1997, along with Nevada Historical Marker #35, and two markers placed by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.From the Wikipedia article “Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort 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 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 60° ENE | 8:02 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:49 AM | 119° ESE | 4:30 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:01 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 43m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, 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 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:29 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:24 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:36 AM – 4:26 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 3:52 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 11:58 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:32 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.1 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 82 | 89 | 100 | 107 | 106 | 105 | 103 | 91 | 79 | 68 |
| Low °F | 8 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 31 | 38 | 55 | 51 | 37 | 20 | 19 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Mountain Pass
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Rock Canyon Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Las Vegas Bay Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Las Vegas Bay Campground24 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort?
What time is golden hour at Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort?
Where does the sun rise and set at Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort?
Can you see the Milky Way from Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort?
How far is Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort 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.