Located in La Paz County, Arizona, Trigo Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area. The nearest town is Blythe, about 48 km (30 mi) away (Trigo Mountains Wilderness lies S of town).
Trigo Mountains Wilderness is a 30,300-acre (12,262 ha) wilderness area in the U.S. state of Arizona and was established in 1990. It is located 30 miles (48 km) north of Yuma east of the Colorado River in an area called the Lower Colorado River Valley. It is a 15-mile (24 km) stretch of ridgeline of the rugged desert Trigo Mountains and is adjacent to historical mines, the Red Cloud and Hart Mine. These rugged desert mountain ecosystems are home to the Desert Bighorn Sheep. The wilderness area is one of the many wildernesses located within the Lower Colorado River Valley. The Trigo Mountains Wilderness is the northeastern mountain border of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge along the Colorado River. It is also just east of the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. The northeast boundary of the wilderness borders the Yuma Proving Ground.From the Wikipedia article “Trigo Mountains Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trigo Mountains 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:43 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 61° ENE | 7:51 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:39 AM | 118° ESE | 4:36 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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 | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 5:58 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:49 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:04 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Trigo Mountains 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 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 | 4:07 AM – 4:57 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:17 PM – 3:57 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:32 PM – 3:42 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:55 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:09 PM – 10:09 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:28 PM – 8:18 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: 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 ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (38%). 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 | 90 | 99 | 104 | 114 | 123 | 121 | 118 | 118 | 108 | 97 | 84 |
| Low °F | 24 | 24 | 33 | 40 | 47 | 56 | 66 | 64 | 55 | 38 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
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.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- 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 Trigo Mountains Wilderness, closest first.
Natural Arch
National Wildlife Refuge
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trigo Mountains Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Trigo Mountains Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trigo Mountains Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trigo Mountains Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trigo Mountains Wilderness?
How far is Trigo Mountains Wilderness from Blythe?
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.