Located in Lincoln County, New Mexico, Fort Stanton is a state park. It is part of Fort Stanton – Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area. It sits roughly 7.1 km (4.4 mi) SE of Capitan. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fort Stanton was a United States Army fort near Lincoln, New Mexico.From the Wikipedia article “Fort Stanton (New Mexico)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fort Stanton the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 61° ENE | 8:16 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 118° ESE | 4:59 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Fort Stanton, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:40 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:57 PM – 4:07 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:34 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 64 | 71 | 81 | 87 | 96 | 101 | 101 | 97 | 93 | 87 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | 9 | -6 | 11 | 22 | 26 | 42 | 51 | 49 | 36 | 15 | 15 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 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 state park
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Fort Stanton, closest first.
Cave
Fire Lookout
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Rob Jagger'S Campground2.3 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Cedar Creek (Sam Tobias)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fort Stanton?
What time is golden hour at Fort Stanton?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fort Stanton?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fort Stanton?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fort Stanton?
How far is Fort Stanton from Capitan?
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.