Keyhole Sink is a canyon in Coconino County, Arizona. The nearest town is Parks, about 6.0 km (3.7 mi) away (Keyhole Sink lies W of town).
Keyhole Sink is a canyon in the shape of a keyhole near Williams, Arizona. The canyon is best known for its petroglyphs, which were created about 1,000 years ago by the ancient Cohonina people, and the seasonal waterfalls that flow into the canyon.From the Wikipedia article “Keyhole Sink”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Keyhole Sink 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) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 60° ENE | 7:47 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:26 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 119° ESE | 5:20 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 | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Keyhole Sink, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:20 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:51 PM – 11:51 PM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:02 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.7 | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 80 | 87 | 96 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 99 | 88 | 77 | 67 |
| Low °F | 0 | -1 | 10 | 16 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 47 | 33 | 19 | 14 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
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 Keyhole Sink, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Spring Valley Cabin & Bunkhouse10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Dogtown Lake Campground And Group11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Kaibab Lake Sites And Group Areas13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- White Horse Lake Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Keyhole Sink?
What time is golden hour at Keyhole Sink?
Where does the sun rise and set at Keyhole Sink?
Can you see the Milky Way from Keyhole Sink?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Keyhole Sink?
How far is Keyhole Sink from Parks?
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.