Kendrick Mountain Wilderness — a wilderness area in Coconino County, Arizona — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Kaibab National Forest. The nearest town is Parks, about 19.1 km (11.9 mi) away (Kendrick Mountain Wilderness lies NNE of town).
Kendrick Mountain Wilderness is a 6,510-acre (26.3 km2) wilderness area in the U.S. State of Arizona. It lies north of the city of Flagstaff on the Coconino Plateau in Coconino County. Kendrick Mountain Wilderness was designated a protected Wilderness area by Congress in 1984. About two thirds of the wilderness is contained within the Kaibab National Forest. Kendrick Mountain Wilderness contains 10,418-foot (3,175 m) Kendrick Peak, upon which a fire lookout has been located since the early 1900s. In the year 2000 the Kendrick Wilderness and Kendrick Peak were substantially affected by a 15,000 acre (61 km2) wildfire, known as the "Pumpkin Fire", the results of which are still quite evident to hikers or visitors to the peak. In an effort to return the forest to its "pre-fire" state, cattle are sometimes grazed near the Kendrick Mountain Trail trailhead.From the Wikipedia article “Kendrick Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kendrick Mountain 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:46 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:26 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Kendrick Mountain 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:20 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:33 PM – 3:23 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:51 PM – 11:51 PM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:02 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 39 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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 Kendrick Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Mountain PeakMountain Peak
Canyon
Fire Lookout
VolcanoCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kendrick Cabin10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Spring Valley Cabin & Bunkhouse11.4 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Lockett Meadow Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Bonito Campground (Az)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Little Elden Springs Horsecamp29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kendrick Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Kendrick Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kendrick Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kendrick Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kendrick Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Kendrick Mountain Wilderness from Parks?
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.