Mount Taylor — a volcano in Cibola County, New Mexico — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Cibola National Forest. The nearest town is Skyline-Ganipa, about 23 km (14 mi) away (Mount Taylor lies N of town).
Mount Taylor (Navajo: Tsoodził, Navajo pronunciation: [tsʰòːtsɪ̀ɬ] means "The Great Mountain") is a dormant stratovolcano in northwest New Mexico, northeast of the town of Grants. It is the high point of the San Mateo Mountains and the highest point in the Cibola National Forest. It was renamed in 1849 for then president Zachary Taylor. Previously, it was called Cebolleta (tender onion) by the Spaniards; the name persists as one name for the northern portion of the San Mateo Mountains, a large mesa. The Navajo, for whom the mountain is sacred, still call it Turquoise Mountain (Tsoodził). Mount Taylor is largely forested with some meadows, rising above the desert below. The mountain is heavily eroded to the east. Its slopes were an important source of lumber for neighboring pueblos.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Taylor (New Mexico)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Taylor 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 242° (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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 60° ENE | 8:29 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 5:03 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Mount Taylor, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 4:58 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:17 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:14 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 12:33 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:34 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:41 PM | 0.7 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 60 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 94 | 97 | 98 | 93 | 91 | 82 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | -8 | 7 | 19 | 23 | 34 | 48 | 47 | 29 | 12 | 11 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 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 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Taylor?
What time is golden hour at Mount Taylor?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Taylor?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Taylor?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Taylor?
How far is Mount Taylor from Skyline-Ganipa?
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.