Goshute Canyon Wilderness — a wilderness area in White Pine County, Nevada — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 99 km (62 mi) SE of Spring Creek.
Goshute Canyon Wilderness is a 42,544-acre (17,217 ha) wilderness area in northern White Pine County in the U.S. state of Nevada. Located in the Cherry Creek Range north of the town of Mcgill, the Wilderness was created by the "White Pine County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act of 2006" and is administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Vegetation in the Wilderness consists primarily of thick pinyon pine and juniper stands at the lower elevations, while bristlecone and limber pine thrive in the higher elevations. Aspen and cottonwood trees crowd the moist drainages along the creeks that flow through the Wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Goshute Canyon Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goshute Canyon Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:44 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 58° ENE | 8:13 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 121° ESE | 4:18 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 19m |
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 | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:42 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:44 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:38 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Goshute Canyon Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 4:46 AM – 4:56 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 5:16 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:54 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:13 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 1:35 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:19 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:21 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:31 PM – 7:41 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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. Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 62 | 77 | 86 | 95 | 102 | 104 | 99 | 99 | 86 | 72 | 59 |
| Low °F | -12 | -3 | 2 | 18 | 21 | 28 | 45 | 43 | 29 | 11 | 4 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- 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 Goshute Canyon Wilderness, closest first.
Hot SpringHot Spring
Ghost Town
Ghost TownHot SpringFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goshute Canyon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Goshute Canyon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goshute Canyon Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goshute Canyon Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goshute Canyon Wilderness?
How far is Goshute Canyon Wilderness from Spring Creek?
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.