Highland Ridge Wilderness — a wilderness area in White Pine County, Nevada — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Great Basin National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Enoch, about 154 km (96 mi) away (Highland Ridge Wilderness lies NW of town).
Highland Ridge Wilderness is a 68,627-acre (27,772 ha) wilderness area in the southern part of the Snake Range of White Pine County, just south of Great Basin National Park, in the U.S. state of Nevada. Located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of the town of Baker, the Wilderness was designated in 2006 and is administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The topography of Highland Ridge Wilderness varies from gently sloping bajadas to rolling foothills to steep ridgelines. This variety of terrain provides excellent habitat for wildlife including mule deer, cougar, northern goshawk, and several species of bat. The pinyon and juniper-covered mountains, steep rocky ridges, and deep drainages provide contiguous protection to some of the basin lands that comprise much of this region of the state.From the Wikipedia article “Highland Ridge Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Highland Ridge 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) | 6:41 AM | 90° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 59° ENE | 8:06 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:25 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 120° ESE | 4:19 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 | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:53 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:47 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 Highland Ridge 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 | 4:44 AM – 4:54 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 5:13 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 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:02 PM – 3:12 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 9:55 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 11:42 PM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:28 PM – 7:48 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 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
- 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.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Highland Ridge Wilderness, closest first.
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Dark Sky Place
Waterfall
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grey Cliffs Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Dump Station26 km (16 mi)
- Upper Lehman Creek Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Wheeler Peak Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Lower Lehman Creek Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Highland Ridge Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Highland Ridge Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Highland Ridge Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Highland Ridge Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Highland Ridge Wilderness?
How far is Highland Ridge 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.