Located in Mohave County, Arizona, Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School is a canyon. The nearest town is Valle Vista, about 18.5 km (11.5 mi) away (Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School lies E of town).
From the National Park Service
The Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School, a boarding school constructed to assimilate Hualapai Indians, is located in Mohave County 15 miles southwest of the Hualapai Tribe’s offices in Peach Springs. Local road and railroad arteries affected planners’ decisions about where to put the facility. When workers completed the building in 1903, it was along the transcontinental Atlantic and Pacific Railroad and the Beale Wagon Road, which later became Route 66.
Between 1870 and 1930, education was central to United States Indian policy. This policy required mandatory attendance at boarding schools that removed children from their families and communities.
Like other Indian schools during this period, Truxton was an industrial training institution. Students spent some time each day in academic classes. During the remaining hours, boys practiced a trade while girls learned domestic skills. A 1922 excerpt from "The Course of Study for United States Indian Schools" is revealing: “our Indian schools…could not possibly be maintained on the amounts appropriated by Congress for their support were it not for the fact that students are required to do…an amount of labor that has in aggregate a very appreciable monetary value.”
Forced to work hard and separated from their families, many students found life at Truxton Canyon traumatic. The regimented lifestyle afforded little free time. Diseases such as measles, influenza, and tuberculosis were common. Some of the older female students adopted younger ones, forming impromptu “families” that helped ease adjustment to the school.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School 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) | 6:39 AM | 90° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 60° ENE | 7:54 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:23 AM | 89° E | 6:33 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 119° ESE | 5:26 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:09 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School, 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 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 | 5:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:18 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:33 PM – 3:43 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:36 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:59 PM – 11:59 PM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:10 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:26 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.5 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (47%). 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 | 75 | 77 | 87 | 92 | 102 | 109 | 109 | 107 | 105 | 96 | 85 | 73 |
| Low °F | 11 | 16 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 46 | 58 | 53 | 41 | 23 | 20 | 16 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 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 canyon
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School?
What time is golden hour at Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School?
How far is Arizona: Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School from Valle Vista?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.