Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Tuna Canyon is a canyon. It lies in or next to Grand Canyon National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Grand Canyon, about 18.9 km (11.7 mi) away (Tuna Canyon lies NNW of town).
Tuna Canyon is a short, high-angle, descending, narrow canyon in western Grand Canyon, below the North Rim. It lies across Granite Gorge in a region of four canyons, and a fifth smaller canyon, as the Colorado River courses westward around the Point Sublime (elevation, 7,192 ft), (and Grama Point (elevation, 7,692 ft)), ridgelines. The high-angle of Tuna Canyon, Tuna Creek, creates the Tuna Creek Rapids (Rapid) at the outfall. Tuna Canyon is a short canyon, nestled between the ridges, but just east is the very long drainage of Crystal Creek (Arizona), which drains from the Kaibab Plateau. The Crystal Rapid is adjacent upstream from the Tuna Creek Rapids. Tuna Canyon lies about 1.5 miles northeast of the Scorpion Ridge landform on the Colorado River. Point Sublime is directly south up-canyon about 1.5 miles, and the headwater Grama Point, traverses up-canyon, northeast, about 2.0...From the Wikipedia article “Tuna Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tuna 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 300° (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) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:50 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:18 AM | 89° E | 6:27 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Tuna Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:30 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:39 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:33 PM – 1:53 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:56 PM – 11:46 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:05 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:20 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 81 | 87 | 97 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 100 | 87 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | 4 | -2 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 50 | 47 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Tuna Canyon, closest first.
Rock FormationRock Formation
CanyonRock Formation
Fire Lookout
Natural Arch
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Rim Campground (Az)17.1 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Mather Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Trailer Village Rv Park - South Rim20 km (13 mi)
- Demotte26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tuna Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Tuna Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tuna Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tuna Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tuna Canyon?
How far is Tuna Canyon from Grand Canyon?
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.