Arc Dome Wilderness — a wilderness area in Nye County, Nevada — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Humboldt–Toiyabe National Forest. It sits roughly 146 km (91 mi) ESE of Fallon.
The Arc Dome Wilderness is a protected wilderness area in the Toiyabe Range of Nye County, in the central section of the state of Nevada in the western United States. It covers an area of approximately 115,000 acres (47,000 ha), Nevada's largest Wilderness area. Attractions include the 70-mile (110 km)-long Toiyabe Crest Trail offers travelers atop the ridge of the Toiyabe Range, including 30 miles (48 km) within the Arc Dome Wilderness. Wildlife in the Wilderness includes Columbia spotted frog, mule deer, sharp-shinned hawk, golden eagle, Clark's nutcracker, sagebrush sparrow, sagebrush vole, black-throated gray warbler, yellow warbler, northern goshawk, big brown bat, and Great Basin skink. The Arc Dome Wilderness is administered by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Arc Dome Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arc Dome Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 59° ENE | 8:18 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 120° ESE | 4:32 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:05 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Arc Dome Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 4:31 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:14 PM – 3:24 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 9:49 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (55%). 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 | 65 | 68 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 100 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 60 |
| Low °F | -2 | 3 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 29 | 47 | 42 | 29 | 18 | 8 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Arc Dome Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Wilderness AreaMountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arc Dome Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Arc Dome Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arc Dome Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arc Dome Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arc Dome Wilderness?
How far is Arc Dome Wilderness from Fallon?
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.