Located in Mohave County, Arizona, Cottonwood Point Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 3.3 km (2.1 mi) SE of Hildale.
Cottonwood Point Wilderness is a protected wilderness area on the Arizona Strip in the U.S. state of Arizona. The area consists of two "peninsulas" dividing Cottonwood Canyon, covered with pinyon, juniper, and sagebrush. The high point stands at 6322 feet (1926 m) on the western peninsula, rising from the Arizona-Utah border. The Cottonwood Point Wilderness was established in 1984 under the Arizona Wilderness Act becoming part of the National Wilderness Preservation System and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Canaan Mountain Wilderness lies contiguously to the north across the Arizona-Utah border.From the Wikipedia article “Cottonwood Point Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cottonwood Point 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) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:55 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:20 AM | 89° E | 6:30 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:07 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 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 Cottonwood Point 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:36 AM – 5:06 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:29 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:16 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 1:50 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:01 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:09 PM – 9:49 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:23 PM – 7:53 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.31 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 81 | 87 | 97 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 100 | 87 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | 4 | -2 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 50 | 47 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Cottonwood Point Wilderness, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Canyon
Dark Sky Place
Ghost Town
Dark Sky Place
Dark Sky Place
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Watchman Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- South Campground (Ut)25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Ponderosa Grove Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cottonwood Point Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cottonwood Point Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cottonwood Point Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cottonwood Point Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cottonwood Point Wilderness?
How far is Cottonwood Point Wilderness from Hildale?
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.