Located in Maricopa County, Arizona, Desert Botanical Garden is a botanical garden at about 397 m (1,302 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.3 km (3.3 mi) N of Tempe Junction.
Desert Botanical Garden is a 140-acre (57 ha) botanical garden located in Papago Park, at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, central Arizona. Founded by the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society in 1937 and established at this site in 1939, the garden now has more than 50,000 plants in more than 4,000 taxa, one-third of which are native to the area, including 379 species which are rare, threatened or endangered. Of special note are the rich collections of agave (4,026 plants in 248 taxa) and cacti (13,973 plants in 1,320 taxa), especially the Opuntia sub-family. Plants from less extreme climate conditions are protected under shadehouses. It focuses on plants adapted to desert conditions, including an Australian collection, a Baja California collection and a South American collection. Several ecosystems are represented: a mesquite bosque, semi-desert grassland, and upland...From the Wikipedia article “Desert Botanical Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Desert Botanical Garden 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) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 61° ENE | 7:41 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:26 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 118° ESE | 5:25 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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:01 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:18 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 57m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Desert Botanical Garden, 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 8 (city 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 | 5:07 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:06 AM – 4:26 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:08 PM – 3:48 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:23 PM – 3:33 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:19 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:46 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:58 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.07 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (49%). 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 | 81 | 82 | 93 | 98 | 107 | 114 | 112 | 110 | 109 | 101 | 91 | 79 |
| Low °F | 16 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 53 | 65 | 64 | 50 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
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 botanical garden
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Fees: OpenStreetMap lists an entrance or parking fee here.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Desert Botanical Garden, closest first.
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Mountain Peak
Botanical Garden
Mountain PeakNatural ArchScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Desert Botanical Garden?
What time is golden hour at Desert Botanical Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Desert Botanical Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Desert Botanical Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Desert Botanical Garden?
How far is Desert Botanical Garden from Tempe Junction?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap contributors, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.