Old Woman Mountains Wilderness — a wilderness area in San Bernardino County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 80 km (50 mi) W of Lake Havasu City.
Old Woman Mountains Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Old Woman Mountains of the eastern Mojave Desert. It is located south of Essex in San Bernardino County, California. This 163,120-acre (660 km2) wilderness was established in 1994, and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The 1975 discovery of the Old Woman Meteorite is located in the Old Woman Mountains and is the largest meteorite found in California and the second largest in the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Old Woman Mountains Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Woman Mountains 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) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 61° ENE | 7:57 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:44 AM | 118° ESE | 4:35 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:04 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Old Woman Mountains 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:19 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:31 AM – 4:31 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:35 PM – 3:55 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:17 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:02 PM – 12:12 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:31 PM – 8:11 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: 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 20% 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 | 86 | 86 | 94 | 102 | 112 | 117 | 119 | 117 | 115 | 105 | 92 | 79 |
| Low °F | 24 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 54 | 64 | 60 | 51 | 36 | 28 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
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.
- 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 Old Woman Mountains Wilderness, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Woman Mountains Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Old Woman Mountains Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Old Woman Mountains Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Old Woman Mountains Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Woman Mountains Wilderness?
How far is Old Woman Mountains Wilderness from Lake Havasu City?
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.