Aldo Leopold Wilderness is a wilderness area in Sierra County, New Mexico. It is part of Gila National Forest. The nearest town is Santa Clara, about 46 km (28 mi) away (Aldo Leopold Wilderness lies NE of town).
Aldo Leopold Wilderness, along with Gila Wilderness and Blue Range Wilderness, is part of New Mexico's Gila National Forest. It became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1980 by an act of the United States Congress and has a total of 202,016 acres (81,753 ha) (316 sq. mi.). The wilderness area lies along the crest of the Black Range. The Continental Divide of the Americas and the Continental Divide Trail traverse part of the wilderness.From the Wikipedia article “Aldo Leopold Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aldo Leopold Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 61° ENE | 8:24 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 118° ESE | 5:09 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 58m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Aldo Leopold Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 5:52 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 5:08 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:29 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:04 PM – 4:14 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:48 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:42 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 70 | 76 | 80 | 88 | 96 | 101 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 77 | 71 |
| Low °F | 2 | -3 | 17 | 24 | 28 | 42 | 53 | 51 | 35 | 18 | 17 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Aldo Leopold Wilderness, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringHot Spring
Ghost TownHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Black Canyon Campground - Upper18.5 km (11.5 mi)
- Black Canyon Campground - Lower18.7 km (11.6 mi)
- Iron Creek Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Kingston Campground25 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aldo Leopold Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Aldo Leopold Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aldo Leopold Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aldo Leopold Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aldo Leopold Wilderness?
How far is Aldo Leopold Wilderness from Santa Clara?
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.