Rucker Canyon — a canyon in Cochise County, Arizona — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 46 km (28 mi) NNE of Pirtleville.
Rucker Canyon is a major canyon draining the western central-south of the Chiricahua Mountains, the central landform of the eastern third of Cochise County, Arizona's extreme southeast, bordering southwest New Mexico. It is famous for historic Camp Rucker. The canyon contains Rucker Creek, (Rucker Wash), and upstream closer to the headwaters, the small Rucker Lake. Rucker Creek supposedly holds trout in the higher elevations. Different species of creek chub have also been known to inhabit the area. The wash drains into the southern region of the slightly north-west by due south Sulphur Springs Valley, east of north–south running U.S. Route 191 and the small communities of Elfrida, McNeal, and Sunizona. The Rucker Wash drains westwards toward the Sulphur Springs Valley and borders the northern small Swisshelm Mountains traversing the named Whitewater Draw of Rucker Creek.From the Wikipedia article “Rucker Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rucker Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:22 AM | 90° E | 6:30 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 62° ENE | 7:27 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:07 AM | 89° E | 6:16 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 117° ESE | 5:19 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 04m |
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 | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:04 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:25 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 4:45 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 5:38 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:35 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:54 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 05m |
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 Rucker 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:52 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:52 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:05 PM – 3:25 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:02 PM – 2:02 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:31 PM – 12:01 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:47 PM – 9:57 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:08 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). June 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 | 83 | 86 | 94 | 105 | 108 | 108 | 103 | 99 | 94 | 85 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 9 | 20 | 28 | 35 | 50 | 60 | 58 | 49 | 26 | 20 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Rucker Canyon, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire LookoutWaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Camp Rucker Group Site6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Bonita Canyon Campground30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rucker Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Rucker Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rucker Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rucker Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rucker Canyon?
How far is Rucker Canyon from Pirtleville?
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.