Located in Lincoln County, New Mexico, Carrizozo Malpais is a volcano. It sits roughly 47 km (29 mi) WNW of Capitan.
The Carrizozo volcanic field is a monogenetic volcanic field located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The volcanic field consists of two lava flows, the Broken Back flow and the Carrizozo lava flow (Carrizozo Malpais). Both lava flows originated from groups of cinder cones. The Broken Back flow is approximately 10 miles (16 km) long and the Carrizozo, one of the largest in the world, is 42 miles (68 km) long, covering 127 square miles (328 km2) with a volume of 1.0 cubic mile (4.2 km3).From the Wikipedia article “Carrizozo volcanic field”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carrizozo Malpais 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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 61° ENE | 8:19 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 118° ESE | 5:00 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Carrizozo Malpais, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | 4:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:03 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:55 PM – 4:25 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:01 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 12:33 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:36 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:34 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: 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 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 volcano
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Carrizozo Malpais, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carrizozo Malpais?
What time is golden hour at Carrizozo Malpais?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carrizozo Malpais?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carrizozo Malpais?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carrizozo Malpais?
How far is Carrizozo Malpais 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.