Located in Yavapai County, Arizona, Woodchute Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Prescott National Forest. It sits roughly 11.4 km (7.1 mi) W of Clarkdale.
Woodchute Wilderness is a 5,923-acre (2,397 ha) wilderness area in Prescott National Forest in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the town of Jerome. Elevation within the area, on the flanks of Woodchute Mountain, ranges from 5,500 to 7,800 feet (1,700 to 2,400 m). A chute on the north side of the mountain helped transport wood to historic Jerome. The wilderness lies within the Munds Draw and Hickey Mountain quadrangles of the national topographic map of the United States Geological Survey. Two trails totaling 8 miles (13 km) cross the protected area. The main trail is Woodchute Trail #102, which connects to the 1.4-mile (2.3 km) Rick Tank Cutoff Trail #104 in the southern part of the wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Woodchute Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Woodchute 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) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 61° ENE | 7:46 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:27 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 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 Woodchute 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 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 | 5:07 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:31 PM – 3:21 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:26 PM – 1:56 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:51 PM – 12:01 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:03 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:59 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 ≈ 21.21 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (45%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 84 | 91 | 99 | 109 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 94 | 83 | 73 |
| Low °F | 2 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 33 | 43 | 54 | 50 | 40 | 25 | 20 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 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
- 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 Woodchute Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
State Park
Ghost Town
National Forest
Wilderness Area
State Park
Natural Arch
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Potato Patch Campground5.3 km (3.3 mi) · reservable
- Playground Group7.2 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Mingus Mountain Campground And Group Site8.5 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Woodchute Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Woodchute Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Woodchute Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Woodchute Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Woodchute Wilderness?
How far is Woodchute Wilderness from Clarkdale?
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.