Located in Pinal County, Arizona, Peppersauce Canyon is a canyon at about 1,407 m (4,616 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.9 km (6.2 mi) SW of San Manuel.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Peppersauce 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) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 61° ENE | 7:34 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:12 AM | 89° E | 6:21 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 00m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 5:43 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:40 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:03 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:16 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 01m |
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 Peppersauce 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:59 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 10:59 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:14 PM – 3:34 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:10 PM – 2:00 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:38 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:13 PM – 8:03 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.0 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 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 | 76 | 83 | 90 | 97 | 106 | 111 | 108 | 107 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 77 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 22 | 32 | 38 | 49 | 64 | 61 | 49 | 30 | 20 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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.
- 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 Peppersauce Canyon, closest first.
Cave
Ghost Town
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Peak
Dark Sky Place
Fire LookoutScenic Viewpoint
Natural ArchScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Peppersauce885 m · reservable
- Whitetail Campground14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Sollers Cabin (Az)14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Showers Point Group Site14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Peppersauce Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Peppersauce Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Peppersauce Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Peppersauce Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Peppersauce Canyon?
How far is Peppersauce Canyon from San Manuel?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.