Located in Navajo County, Arizona, Dowozhiebito Canyon is a canyon. The nearest town is Kayenta, about 22 km (13 mi) away (Dowozhiebito Canyon lies WNW of town).
Dowozhiebito Canyon is a canyon in Navajo County, Arizona. The head of Dowozhiebito Canyon is at 36°49′48″N 110°27′39″W. Laguña Creek has its headwaters at the mouth of Dowozhiebito Canyon, where the creeks from Long Canyon and Dowozhiebito Canyon have their confluence at an elevation of 6,325 feet (1,928 meters) at the head of Tsegi Canyon.From the Wikipedia article “Dowozhiebito Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dowozhiebito Canyon 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 60° ENE | 8:45 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 119° ESE | 5:10 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Dowozhiebito Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:39 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:39 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 27% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 60 | 66 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 101 | 101 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 76 | 61 |
| Low °F | -1 | -4 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 35 | 51 | 49 | 31 | 12 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Dowozhiebito Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Canyon
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassNatural Arch
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dowozhiebito Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Dowozhiebito Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dowozhiebito Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dowozhiebito Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dowozhiebito Canyon?
How far is Dowozhiebito Canyon from Kayenta?
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.