Located in Chugach Census Area, Alaska, Keystone Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 25 km (15 mi) ESE of Valdez.
Keystone Canyon is a gorge near Valdez in the U.S. state of Alaska. Situated at an elevation of 307 feet (94 m), its walls are almost perpendicular. It measures 3 miles (4.8 km) in length, connecting the upper and lower valleys of Lowe River.From the Wikipedia article “Keystone Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Keystone Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 32° (NNE) at the June solstice and 143° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 328° (NNW) in June to 217° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:45 AM | 89° E | 7:58 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:07 AM | 32° NNE | 11:25 PM | 328° NNW | 52° | 19h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 88° E | 7:46 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 9:57 AM | 143° SE | 3:28 PM | 217° SW | 6° | 5h 30m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:45 AM | 9:40 AM | 11:26 AM | 2:21 PM | 4:07 PM | 5:03 PM | 6h 27m |
| February | 7:41 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:33 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:17 PM | 9h 05m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:59 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:53 PM | 14h 41m |
| May | 3:49 AM | 4:58 AM | 6:09 AM | 9:13 PM | 10:24 PM | 11:33 PM | 17h 25m |
| June | — | 4:08 AM | 5:33 AM | 9:57 PM | 11:22 PM | — | 19h 15m |
| July | 3:07 AM | 4:38 AM | 5:56 AM | 9:45 PM | 11:03 PM | 12:33 AM | 18h 25m |
| August | 5:00 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:44 PM | 10:38 PM | 15h 50m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:11 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 12h 56m |
| October | 7:43 AM | 8:26 AM | 9:28 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:17 PM | 10h 07m |
| November | 7:58 AM | 8:50 AM | 10:15 AM | 2:43 PM | 4:09 PM | 5:00 PM | 7h 19m |
| December | 8:51 AM | 9:52 AM | — | — | 3:27 PM | 4:28 PM | 5h 34m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (79%). August 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 | 34 | 32 | 41 | 49 | 56 | 62 | 68 | 72 | 57 | 48 | 34 | 33 |
| Low °F | -37 | -36 | -35 | -14 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 23 | 10 | -10 | -32 | -29 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.7 | 6.1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 10.4 | 8.7 | 7.4 | 7.8 |
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 canyon
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Keystone Canyon, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassScenic Viewpoint
GlacierFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Keystone Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Keystone Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Keystone Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Keystone Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Keystone Canyon?
How far is Keystone Canyon from Valdez?
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.