Located in Mora County, New Mexico, Maxson Crater is a volcano at about 2,170 m (7,119 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Las Vegas, about 45 km (28 mi) away (Maxson Crater lies NE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Maxson Crater 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 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 60° ENE | 8:20 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 119° ESE | 4:50 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
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 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 Maxson Crater, 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 | 4:48 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:54 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:21 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 ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (47%). 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 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 101 | 106 | 107 | 102 | 99 | 92 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 11 | 1 | 11 | 24 | 30 | 44 | 53 | 53 | 35 | 17 | 12 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 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
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- 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.
- 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 Maxson Crater, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
National Wildlife Refuge
Rock FormationFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Maxson Crater?
What time is golden hour at Maxson Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Maxson Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Maxson Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Maxson Crater?
How far is Maxson Crater from Las Vegas?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.