Spirit Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in Clark County, Nevada. The nearest town is Laughlin, about 13.8 km (8.6 mi) away (Spirit Mountain Wilderness lies NW of town).
Spirit Mountain Wilderness Area is a 33,518-acre (13,564 ha) wilderness area located in the Newberry Mountains in Clark County, Nevada, 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Laughlin. Spirit Mountain lies within the area. It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Most of the wilderness is located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and all of it is within Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. The area is adjacent to both the Nellis Wash Wilderness Area and the Bridge Canyon Wilderness Area.From the Wikipedia article “Spirit Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Spirit Mountain 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:43 AM | 90° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 60° ENE | 7:57 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:44 AM | 119° ESE | 4:31 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:01 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Spirit Mountain Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:31 AM – 4:31 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:36 PM – 3:46 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:39 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:02 PM – 12:02 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:13 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:30 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.37 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 79 | 79 | 91 | 98 | 107 | 115 | 116 | 112 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 59 | 47 | 28 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 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 Spirit Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Canyon
Lake
Wilderness Area
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Katherine Landing Rv Park10.3 km (6.4 mi)
- Katherine Landing Campground10.6 km (6.6 mi)
- Cottonwood Cove Rv Park25 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Spirit Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Spirit Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Spirit Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Spirit Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Spirit Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Spirit Mountain Wilderness from Laughlin?
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.