El Paso Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area in Kern County, California. It sits roughly 20 km (12 mi) S of Inyokern.
The El Paso Mountains Wilderness was created in 1994 and now has a total of 23,780 acres (96.2 km2). All of the wilderness is in the northern Mojave Desert in eastern Kern County, California and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is located south of Ridgecrest, California.From the Wikipedia article “El Paso Mountains Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At El Paso Mountains 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 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 60° ENE | 8:11 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:58 AM | 119° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 47m |
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 El Paso Mountains 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 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 | 4:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.31 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 13% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 77 | 85 | 88 | 96 | 106 | 112 | 113 | 113 | 110 | 99 | 85 | 74 |
| Low °F | 22 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 37 | 42 | 57 | 54 | 43 | 35 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 El Paso Mountains Wilderness, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Ghost Town
Rock Formation
State Park
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Wilderness Area
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph El Paso Mountains Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at El Paso Mountains Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at El Paso Mountains Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from El Paso Mountains Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at El Paso Mountains Wilderness?
How far is El Paso Mountains Wilderness from Inyokern?
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.