Muggins Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in Yuma County, Arizona. The nearest town is Wellton, about 12.6 km (7.8 mi) away (Muggins Mountain Wilderness lies NW of town).
The Muggins Mountain Wilderness is a 7,711-acre (31.21 km2) wilderness area in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is located approximately 38 miles (61 km) east of Yuma, Arizona in the Muggins Mountains and adjacent to the agricultural Dome Valley and Gila River. The wilderness area is made up of the highest peak in the southern section of Muggins Mountains, Klothos Temple at 1,666 feet (508 m). Muggins Peak is adjacent to the peak southeastwards, at 1,424 feet (434 m). Three deeply cut washes drain the southwest border of the wilderness, Twin Tanks Wash, Muggins Wash, and Morgan Wash. Muggins Wash is the access point to the wilderness, by way of County 7th Street. The ruggedness of the Muggins Mountain Wilderness is ideal for activities such as day hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, sightseeing, photography, and studying nature, native plants, or wildlife. The nearest communities are...From the Wikipedia article “Muggins Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Muggins Mountain 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) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 61° ENE | 7:49 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 118° ESE | 5:36 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:09 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 01m |
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 Muggins Mountain Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:13 AM – 4:33 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:14 PM – 3:54 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:29 PM – 3:39 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:25 PM – 2:15 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:53 PM – 12:13 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:08 PM – 10:18 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:27 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.8 | 17° | 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 ≈ 21.52 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 25% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (40%). 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 | 85 | 89 | 101 | 104 | 112 | 120 | 121 | 117 | 115 | 108 | 97 | 86 |
| Low °F | 24 | 27 | 35 | 41 | 47 | 56 | 67 | 65 | 55 | 43 | 31 | 29 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Muggins Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Natural Arch
Ghost Town
State Park
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State Park
Wilderness Area
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Muggins Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Muggins Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Muggins Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Muggins Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Muggins Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Muggins Mountain Wilderness from Wellton?
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.