Marble Canyon is a canyon in Coconino County, Arizona. The nearest town is Page, about 13.2 km (8.2 mi) away (Marble Canyon lies WSW of town).
Marble Canyon is the section of the Colorado River canyon in northern Arizona from Lee's Ferry to the confluence with the Little Colorado River, which marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon. Lee's Ferry is a common launching point for river runners starting their journey through Marble Canyon and then onward to the Grand Canyon. Marble Canyon is also known for the Navajo Bridge, where US Highway 89A crosses the Colorado River. The canyon marks the western boundary of the Navajo Nation. In 1975, the former Marble Canyon National Monument, which followed the Colorado River northeast from the Grand Canyon to Lee's Ferry, was made part of Grand Canyon National Park. The name Marble Canyon is a misnomer, because there is no marble there. Although John Wesley Powell knew this when he named the canyon, he thought the polished limestone looked like marble. In his words, "The limestone of...From the Wikipedia article “Marble Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Marble 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) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 60° ENE | 7:50 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:14 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 | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Marble 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:12 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:29 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:39 PM – 3:09 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:33 PM – 1:43 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:54 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:03 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 7:47 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: 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). July 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 | 62 | 67 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 77 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 0 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 50 | 49 | 32 | 16 | 15 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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
- 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 Marble Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Ghost Town
Rock Formation
Scenic Viewpoint
LakeScenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Natural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Colorado River Primitive Camping Between Glen Canyon Dam And Lees Ferry420 m
- Lees Ferry Campground1.5 km (0.9 mi)
- Beehives Primitive Campground11.8 km (7.3 mi)
- Wahweap Campground & Rv Park16.9 km (10.5 mi)
- Antelope Point Rv Park17.5 km (10.9 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Marble Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Marble Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Marble Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Marble Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Marble Canyon?
How far is Marble Canyon from Page?
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.