West Clear Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area in Yavapai County, Arizona. It is part of Coconino National Forest. The nearest town is Camp Verde, about 10.0 km (6.2 mi) away (West Clear Creek Wilderness lies SE of town).
The West Clear Creek Wilderness is a 15,238-acre (6,167 ha) wilderness area in the U.S. state of Arizona. West Clear Creek is formed by the junction of Willow Creek and Clover Creek in the Mogollon Rim, which is part of the Colorado Plateau; the Mogollon Rim is the major part of the Arizona transition zone at the southwest of the Colorado Plateau of Utah-Colorado, Arizona-New Mexico. Located east of Camp Verde, the area is part of Coconino National Forest. Common activities in West Clear Creek are swimming, camping, backpacking, hunting, fishing, and hiking. A variety of plants and animals can be found year-round, along with extremely cold water.From the Wikipedia article “West Clear Creek Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Clear Creek 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) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 61° ENE | 7:44 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 118° ESE | 5:21 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 52m |
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 West Clear Creek Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:23 PM – 2:03 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 7:57 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.25 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 79 | 85 | 94 | 102 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -14 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 36 | 48 | 48 | 33 | 19 | 13 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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 West Clear Creek Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Dark Sky Place
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
Scenic Viewpoint
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Clear Creek Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at West Clear Creek Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Clear Creek Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Clear Creek Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Clear Creek Wilderness?
How far is West Clear Creek Wilderness from Camp Verde?
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.