Cabeza Prieta Wilderness — a wilderness area in Pima County, Arizona — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 54 km (33 mi) WSW of Ajo.
The Cabeza Prieta Wilderness is located in the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona in the United States. Cabeza Prieta Wilderness Area has the distinction of being Arizona's largest Wilderness Area, encompassing nearly 93 percent of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and covering 803,418 acres (3,251.32 km2), larger than the land area of the state of Rhode Island. It may be temporarily closed for training exercises of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. It is also the reputed burial ground of famed environmentalist and author Edward Abbey. Visitors to Cabeza Prieta Wilderness are advised to avoid touching or tampering with any undetonated bombs, and no vehicle travel is permitted off of designated public use roads.From the Wikipedia article “Cabeza Prieta Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cabeza Prieta Wilderness 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:38 AM | 90° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 61° ENE | 7:44 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:32 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 118° ESE | 5:33 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 02m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:06 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 03m |
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 Cabeza Prieta Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:09 AM – 4:29 AM | 3.3 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:09 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:20 PM – 2:20 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:48 PM – 12:18 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:04 PM – 10:14 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:24 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.8 | 18° | 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 ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (38%). 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 | 83 | 89 | 100 | 103 | 111 | 119 | 119 | 116 | 118 | 107 | 98 | 86 |
| Low °F | 23 | 26 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 57 | 65 | 65 | 54 | 43 | 31 | 27 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- 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 Cabeza Prieta Wilderness, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Scenic Viewpoint
Natural ArchFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cabeza Prieta Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cabeza Prieta Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cabeza Prieta Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cabeza Prieta Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cabeza Prieta Wilderness?
How far is Cabeza Prieta Wilderness from Ajo?
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.