Located in Imperial County, California, Indian Pass Wilderness is a wilderness area. It sits roughly 42 km (26 mi) NNW of Avenue B and C.
The Indian Pass Wilderness is 32,418-acre (13,119 ha) wilderness area under the administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The reserve is located in the very southeastern part of the Chocolate Mountains, in the southeastern part of California, just to the west of the Colorado River in the Lower Colorado River Valley. It adjoins the Picacho Peak Wilderness to the south, and the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge to the east. Quartz Peak at 2,126 feet (648 m) lies in the west of the wilderness. Julian Wash, which drains eastwards into the Colorado River, marks the center of the wilderness and gives the name "Julian Wash Country" to the wilderness area. Animals such as the Colorado River toad, desert bighorn sheep, and wild burros live in the refuge habitat.From the Wikipedia article “Indian Pass Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Indian Pass 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) | 6:44 AM | 90° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 61° ENE | 7:52 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:39 AM | 118° ESE | 4:37 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 58m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:50 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:05 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 59m |
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 Indian Pass 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 | 4:08 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:20 AM – 5:20 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 | 8:56 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:10 PM – 10:10 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:29 PM – 8:19 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 ≈ 21.72 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
- 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.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- 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 Indian Pass Wilderness, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Indian Pass Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Indian Pass Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Indian Pass Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Indian Pass Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Indian Pass Wilderness?
How far is Indian Pass Wilderness from Avenue B and C?
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.