Virgin River Gorge is a canyon in Mohave County, Arizona. The nearest town is Beaver Dam, about 7.0 km (4.3 mi) away (Virgin River Gorge lies ENE of town).
The Virgin River Gorge, located between St. George, Utah, and Beaver Dam, Arizona, is a long canyon carved out by the Virgin River in northwest Arizona. The Virgin River created the topography of both Zion National Park and the Virgin River Gorge. Interstate 15 runs through the canyon and crosses the Virgin River several times. The Virgin River Gorge section of Interstate 15 is one of the most expensive sections of Interstate highway ever constructed. Due to the winding of the canyon, the highway within is also noted for its tricky driving conditions. The canyon's climate is typical for the Mojave Desert, with hot summers and mild winters. Flora and fauna in the canyon are also typical of the Mojave. The canyon is popular among rock climbers, hikers, and campers. In 1997, American rock climber Chris Sharma climbed America's first-ever 8c+ (5.14c) graded sport climbing route, in the...From the Wikipedia article “Virgin River Gorge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Virgin River Gorge 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) | 6:40 AM | 90° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 60° ENE | 7:59 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:24 AM | 89° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 119° ESE | 5:23 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 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 Virgin River Gorge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 1:53 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:04 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:12 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:26 PM – 7:56 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 73 | 74 | 86 | 93 | 102 | 109 | 108 | 108 | 105 | 94 | 83 | 69 |
| Low °F | 11 | 13 | 20 | 26 | 31 | 43 | 59 | 55 | 40 | 21 | 18 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 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.
- 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 Virgin River Gorge, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Virgin River Gorge?
What time is golden hour at Virgin River Gorge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Virgin River Gorge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Virgin River Gorge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Virgin River Gorge?
How far is Virgin River Gorge from Beaver Dam?
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.