Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area in Mohave County, Arizona. It sits roughly 18.2 km (11.3 mi) SW of Santa Clara.
The Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area located in northwestern Arizona and southwestern Utah, USA, within the arid Colorado Plateau region. The jagged mountains and gently sloping alluvial plain of the Beaver Dam Mountains straddle the border between the two states. The Wilderness contains some of the lowest elevation land in Utah, and includes a 13 miles (21 km) section of the Virgin River Gorge. The area comprises some 18,667 acres (7,554 ha), 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) of which in Arizona and approximately 3,667 acres (1,484 ha) in Utah. The area was designated Wilderness by the U.S. Congress in 1984 and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The Mojave Desert landscape of the Beaver Dam Mountains features multitudes of Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia). Notable wildlife include desert bighorn sheep, the threatened desert tortoise, and large numbers of...From the Wikipedia article “Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 60° ENE | 7:59 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:24 AM | 89° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 119° ESE | 5:23 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 1:53 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:04 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:12 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:26 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.41 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 23% 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 | 73 | 74 | 86 | 93 | 102 | 109 | 108 | 108 | 105 | 94 | 83 | 69 |
| Low °F | 11 | 13 | 20 | 26 | 31 | 43 | 59 | 55 | 40 | 21 | 18 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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 wilderness area
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Canyon
State Park
Wilderness Area
State Park
Natural Arch
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness?
How far is Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness from Santa Clara?
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.