Black Rock Desert Wilderness is a wilderness area in Humboldt County, Nevada. It sits roughly 90 km (56 mi) WNW of Winnemucca.
The Black Rock Desert Wilderness is a U S Wilderness Area in Nevada under the Bureau of Land Management. It is located in the east arm of the Black Rock Desert playa east of the Black Rock Range and west of the Jackson Mountains. The wilderness has a land area of 314,829 acres, or 1,274.1 km2. It is the largest U.S. designated wilderness area that is managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management, and the largest that is not located within a National Forest, National Park (or Preserve), or National Wildlife Refuge. It is located within the Black Rock Desert – High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, also managed by the BLM.From the Wikipedia article “Black Rock Desert Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Rock Desert Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 57° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:30 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Black Rock Desert Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:09 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:40 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:40 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 7:47 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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. Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 64 | 64 | 75 | 82 | 92 | 99 | 104 | 100 | 97 | 88 | 70 | 53 |
| Low °F | -12 | 6 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 29 | 42 | 40 | 29 | 18 | 8 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Black Rock Desert Wilderness, closest first.
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot Spring
Wilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Rock Desert Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Black Rock Desert Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Rock Desert Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Rock Desert Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Rock Desert Wilderness?
How far is Black Rock Desert Wilderness from Winnemucca?
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.