Warm Springs Wilderness — a wilderness area in Mohave County, Arizona — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Golden Shores, about 20 km (12 mi) away (Warm Springs Wilderness lies NE of town).
The 112,400-acre (45,500 ha) Warm Springs Wilderness makes up the entirety of the Black Mesa (western Arizona) and parts of the surrounding foothills, washes, alluvial fans, and valleys. The Black Mesa is the southernmost section of the Black Mountains of western Mohave County, in northwest Arizona. The region is in the east and southeast of the Mojave Desert of Arizona, southern Nevada, and California. The wilderness is 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Kingman, Arizona and 10 mi (16 km) east of Mohave Valley, Arizona and Needles, California. Oatman, AZ lies on its northwest perimeter, adjacent to the Boundary Cone landmark; Yucca, AZ is on its east in the south-central Sacramento Valley on Interstate 40 in Arizona which traverses due-south from Kingman, then turns due west of the Black Mesa and Warm Springs Wilderness perimeter to meet Needles, California, on the Colorado River. The...From the Wikipedia article “Warm Springs Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Warm Springs 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 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 | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 60° ENE | 7:55 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 119° ESE | 5:30 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 5:12 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Warm Springs 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 – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:19 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 – 12:00 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:11 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:27 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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 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
- 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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Warm Springs Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock Formation
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Wilderness Area
CanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Warm Springs Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Warm Springs Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Warm Springs Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Warm Springs Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Warm Springs Wilderness?
How far is Warm Springs Wilderness from Golden Shores?
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.