Doubtful Canyon is a canyon in Cochise County, Arizona. The nearest town is Lordsburg, about 36 km (22 mi) away (Doubtful Canyon lies W of town).
Doubtful Canyon was the name of two canyons in the Peloncillo Mountains, once considered in the 19th century as one canyon that served as the pass through those mountains. Today the canyon bearing the name Doubtful Canyon, is mostly in Cochise County, Arizona, near the New Mexico border. It descends to the east into the Animas Valley past Steins Peak it is in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. Doubtful Canyon has a tributary, Little Doubtful Canyon that joins it just east of the Arizona New Mexico border. The western canyon is now called West Doubtful Canyon and it descends into the San Simon Valley, in Cochise County, Arizona.From the Wikipedia article “Doubtful Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Doubtful Canyon 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) | 6:21 AM | 90° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 61° ENE | 7:27 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:05 AM | 89° E | 6:15 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 118° ESE | 5:16 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
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:03 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:23 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:19 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:21 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 5:15 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 5:36 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:33 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:49 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:10 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 02m |
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 Doubtful Canyon, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:56 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:51 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.3 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:51 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:06 PM – 3:26 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:02 PM – 2:02 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:30 PM – 12:00 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:06 PM – 7:56 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 96 | 106 | 109 | 111 | 106 | 103 | 96 | 85 | 76 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 21 | 29 | 35 | 48 | 62 | 61 | 46 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 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 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 Doubtful Canyon, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Doubtful Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Doubtful Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Doubtful Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Doubtful Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Doubtful Canyon?
How far is Doubtful Canyon from Lordsburg?
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.