Fortification Range Wilderness — a wilderness area in Lincoln County, Nevada — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 153 km (95 mi) NW of Enoch.
Fortification Range Wilderness is a 30,656-acre (12,406 ha) wilderness area in Lincoln County, in the U.S. state of Nevada. The Wilderness lies approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast of the town of Ely and is administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Fortification Range Wilderness protects the 13.5-mile (21.7 km) long Fortification Range, a low mountain range composed almost entirely of volcanic materials. Most of the range is gentle ridges, though the north end is very rugged and precipitous and contains sheer cliffs and massive outcrops.From the Wikipedia article “Fortification Range Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fortification Range 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) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 59° ENE | 8:06 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 120° ESE | 4:21 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:00 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:54 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Fortification Range 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 23° 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 | 4:35 AM – 4:55 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 3:30 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:02 PM – 3:12 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 9:55 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 11:42 PM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 9:48 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:29 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 26% 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 | 63 | 65 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 100 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 83 | 71 | 58 |
| Low °F | -12 | -1 | 12 | 17 | 20 | 29 | 47 | 44 | 27 | 14 | 2 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
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
- 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.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Fortification Range Wilderness, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fortification Range Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Fortification Range Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fortification Range Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fortification Range Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fortification Range Wilderness?
How far is Fortification Range Wilderness from Enoch?
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.