Havasu Wilderness — a wilderness area in Mohave County, Arizona — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Desert Hills, about 11.3 km (7.0 mi) away (Havasu Wilderness lies NNW of town).
Havasu Wilderness is a 17,801-acre (72 km2) wilderness area located within the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge near Lake Havasu in the U.S. states of Arizona and California. 14,606 acres (59 km2) are located in Arizona and 3,195 acres (13 km2) are located in California. The western boundary of the Wilderness is formed by the Chemihuevi Mountains Wilderness in California. The area includes volcanic spires, a large sand dune with vegetation varying from riparian wetlands to Mojave Desert uplands. The habitats here consist of open water, emergent vegetation, subaquatics, dry mountains, desert uplands and washes.From the Wikipedia article “Havasu Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Havasu 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 61° ENE | 7:55 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 118° ESE | 5:31 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Havasu Wilderness, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:33 PM – 3:53 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:40 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:35 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:00 PM – 12:10 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:12 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:28 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.57 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 16% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (41%). 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 | 87 | 88 | 97 | 103 | 111 | 120 | 121 | 118 | 116 | 106 | 94 | 82 |
| Low °F | 24 | 23 | 32 | 37 | 47 | 55 | 67 | 65 | 53 | 37 | 28 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Havasu Wilderness, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Rock Formation
National Wildlife Refuge
Waterfall
Lighthouse
BeachLighthouse
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Havasu Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Havasu Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Havasu Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Havasu Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Havasu Wilderness?
How far is Havasu Wilderness from Desert Hills?
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.