La Madre Mountains Wilderness — a wilderness area in Clark County, Nevada — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Summerlin South, about 15.8 km (9.8 mi) away (La Madre Mountains Wilderness lies NW of town).
La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area consists of 47,180 acres (19,090 ha) covering a part of Clark County, Nevada, that lies just west of the city of Las Vegas, between that city and Mount Charleston. The area includes La Madre Mountain and several archaeological areas including the Brownstone Canyon Archaeological District. The area is administered by the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management.From the Wikipedia article “La Madre Mountains Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At La Madre Mountains Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 60° ENE | 8:03 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 119° ESE | 4:31 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:02 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 43m |
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 La Madre Mountains Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:43 PM – 3:53 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.28 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 82 | 89 | 100 | 107 | 106 | 105 | 103 | 91 | 79 | 68 |
| Low °F | 8 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 31 | 38 | 55 | 51 | 37 | 20 | 19 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 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
- 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 La Madre Mountains Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
State Park
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfall
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Rock Canyon Campground11.3 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway Group Picnic Sites13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Kyle Canyon Picnic Area Day Use14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Fletcher View14.9 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- Hilltop17.0 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph La Madre Mountains Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at La Madre Mountains Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at La Madre Mountains Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from La Madre Mountains Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at La Madre Mountains Wilderness?
How far is La Madre Mountains Wilderness from Summerlin South?
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.