Coyote Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area in Pima County, Arizona. It sits roughly 22 km (14 mi) WSW of Three Points.
The 5,080-acre (20.6 km2) Coyote Mountains Wilderness of Arizona is part of the Coyote Mountains of southern Arizona in the center of Pima County. The wilderness lies about 40 mi southwest of Tucson, in the northwest of the Altar Valley. Kitt Peak is 4 mi WSW.From the Wikipedia article “Coyote Mountains Wilderness (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coyote Mountains Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (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 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 62° ENE | 7:36 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 118° ESE | 5:27 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 04m |
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 Coyote Mountains 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:01 AM – 4:31 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:00 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:14 PM – 3:34 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:40 PM – 12:10 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:56 PM – 10:06 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:16 PM – 8:06 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.5 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). June 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 | 80 | 85 | 91 | 98 | 106 | 111 | 108 | 105 | 104 | 100 | 90 | 82 |
| Low °F | 19 | 15 | 27 | 32 | 39 | 53 | 59 | 61 | 51 | 33 | 23 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Coyote Mountains Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Natural ArchNatural ArchFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Coyote Mountains Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Coyote Mountains Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Coyote Mountains Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Coyote Mountains Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Coyote Mountains Wilderness?
How far is Coyote Mountains Wilderness from Three Points?
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.