Blue Range Wilderness — a wilderness area in Catron County, New Mexico — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Gila National Forest. The nearest town is Clifton, about 52 km (32 mi) away (Blue Range Wilderness lies NE of town).
Blue Range Wilderness, along with Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Gila Wilderness, is part of Gila National Forest. It is located on the western border of New Mexico and west of U.S. Route 180 between Reserve and Glenwood. The wilderness is crossed by the Mogollon Rim. It became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1980. It is home to wildlife species including black bear, pronghorn, bald eagle, peregrine falcon, elk, white-tailed deer, osprey, mule deer, bobcat, spotted owl, cougar, Mexican wolf, gray fox, white-nosed coati, collared peccary, bighorn sheep, and wild turkey. The adjacent and larger Blue Range Primitive Area of Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona was also recommended for Wilderness status in 1971, but only the New Mexico portion has been acted upon by Congress.From the Wikipedia article “Blue Range Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blue Range 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 61° ENE | 8:29 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 118° ESE | 5:13 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 57m |
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 Blue Range 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 | 4:55 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:57 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 4:36 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:54 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:48 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:46 PM | 0.7 | 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 ≈ 21.92 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 (63%). 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 | 69 | 76 | 82 | 94 | 98 | 100 | 95 | 92 | 84 | 74 | 67 |
| Low °F | -10 | -4 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 37 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 18 | 12 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
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.
- 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 Blue Range Wilderness, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Natural Arch
Ghost Town
Hot SpringHot SpringHot Spring
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
National ForestFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blue Range Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Blue Range Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blue Range Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blue Range Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blue Range Wilderness?
How far is Blue Range Wilderness from Clifton?
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.