Located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Broad Canyon Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument. It sits roughly 18.7 km (11.6 mi) W of Radium Springs.
Broad Canyon Wilderness is a 13,902-acre (5,625 ha) wilderness area in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in the US state of New Mexico. Established in 2019, this Wilderness located on the eastern end of the Sierra de las Uvas, contains small canyons created by water eroded lava flows opening into the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert.From the Wikipedia article “Broad Canyon Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Broad Canyon 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 61° ENE | 8:20 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 118° ESE | 5:08 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 01m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 02m |
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 Broad Canyon Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:49 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:05 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:35 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:20 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:56 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 12:44 AM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:49 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.8 | 18° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 75 | 80 | 86 | 94 | 105 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 101 | 93 | 82 | 74 |
| Low °F | 16 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 36 | 50 | 60 | 55 | 46 | 24 | 20 | 17 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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 Broad Canyon Wilderness, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Broad Canyon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Broad Canyon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Broad Canyon Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Broad Canyon Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Broad Canyon Wilderness?
How far is Broad Canyon Wilderness from Radium Springs?
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.