Sandia Mountain Wilderness is a wilderness area in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. It is part of Cibola National Forest. It sits roughly 4.6 km (2.9 mi) NE of Sandia Heights.
Sandia Mountain Wilderness, part of Cibola National Forest, is located east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and comprises much of Sandia Mountains. It became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1978 by an act of the United States Congress and has a total of 37,877 acres (15,328 ha). The wilderness is under the authority of the United States Forest Service. Because of its proximity to Albuquerque, it has one of the most used trail systems in the state. Most tourists access the wilderness area either by way of the Sandia Aerial Tramway or by driving by way of the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway.From the Wikipedia article “Sandia Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sandia 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 60° ENE | 8:24 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:58 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Sandia 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 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:37 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: 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 ≈ 20.15 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 65 | 70 | 79 | 86 | 97 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 73 | 64 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 13 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 48 | 31 | 18 | 11 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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.
- 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 Sandia Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
Cave
Canyon
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
State Park
Botanical Garden
Rock Formation
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Nine Mile Picnic Site2.9 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Capulin Spring Picnic Site3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Balsam Glade Picnic Site4.2 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Las Huertas Picnic Site5.3 km (3.3 mi) · reservable
- Doc Long Picnic Sites - A And B6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sandia Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Sandia Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sandia Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sandia Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sandia Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Sandia Mountain Wilderness from Sandia Heights?
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.