Aliso Canyon is a canyon in Orange County, California. It is part of Aliso and Wood Canyons Regional Park. It sits roughly 4.4 km (2.7 mi) WSW of Laguna Niguel.
Aliso Canyon is a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) canyon located in Orange County, California in the United States. The canyon is a water gap across the San Joaquin Hills carved out by Aliso Creek, possibly as recently as the last ice age. Located in a semi-arid climate, it supports a variety of plant communities – mainly chaparral and coastal sage scrub – and native animals, some endangered. The canyon's northern divide once formed a formidable boundary between the indigenous Acjachemen and Tongva. Many Acjachemen archaeological sites have been found in the canyon. The fertile alluvial soil and grasslands of Aliso Canyon was used for orchards and grazing from Spanish conquest of the region until the early 20th century. Since the 1970s, the canyon has been the centerpiece of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.From the Wikipedia article “Aliso Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aliso 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:05 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 56m |
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 | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 57m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Aliso Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:32 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:31 PM – 4:11 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:56 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:23 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.7 | 17° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.49 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August 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 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 35 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 38 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 |
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 Aliso Canyon, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
State Park
State ParkNatural Arch
Canyon
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aliso Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Aliso Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aliso Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aliso Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aliso Canyon?
How far is Aliso Canyon from Laguna Niguel?
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.