Texas Canyon — a canyon in Cochise County, Arizona — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 20 km (13 mi) NE of Saint David.
Texas Canyon is a valley in Cochise County, Arizona, about 20 miles east of Benson on Interstate 10. Lying between the Little Dragoon Mountains to the north and the Dragoon Mountains to the south and known for its giant granite boulders, the canyon attracts rockhounds and photographers.From the Wikipedia article “Texas Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Texas Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (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 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:25 AM | 90° E | 6:32 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 62° ENE | 7:30 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:09 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 118° ESE | 5:21 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:27 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 5:41 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:37 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:52 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 04m |
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 Texas 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 | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:55 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:08 PM – 3:28 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:05 PM – 2:05 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:34 PM – 12:04 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:10 PM – 8:00 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: 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 ≈ 21.7 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
- 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.
- 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 Texas Canyon, closest first.
Natural Arch
Mountain Pass
National ForestMountain Pass
Ghost Town
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Texas Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Texas Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Texas Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Texas Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Texas Canyon?
How far is Texas Canyon from Saint David?
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.