Anderson Canyon is a canyon in Monterey County, California. The nearest town is Big Sur, about 18.0 km (11.2 mi) away (Anderson Canyon lies SE of town).
Anderson Canyon in the Big Sur region of California was named after pioneering homesteaders James and Peter Andersen who were the first European settlers of the area. The canyon, Anderson Creek, and Anderson Peak (4,099 feet (1,249 m)) are south of McWay Falls and within the boundaries of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. During the construction of Highway One in the 1920s and the 1930s, it was the location of a convict work camp. After the camp closed, literary bohemians like Henry Miller rented the shacks, forming what Miller later called the "Anderson Creek Gang". The canyon is within the boundaries of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Sea Otter Refuge, and California condor reintroduction area. The Staude House built in the 1960s sits on a bluff at the mouth of Anderson Canyon 120 feet (37 m) above sea level. A 90 acres (36 ha) parcel on the bluff between the coastal...From the Wikipedia article “Anderson Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anderson 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) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 60° ENE | 8:28 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 119° ESE | 4:56 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Anderson 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 4:18 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:57 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:28 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.52 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 (49%). 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 | 80 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 103 | 108 | 113 | 110 | 113 | 102 | 90 | 77 |
| Low °F | 20 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 4.1 |
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
- 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.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Anderson Canyon, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State Park
Hot Spring
Wilderness Area
Hot Spring
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Escondido Campground15.5 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- China Camp Campground17.8 km (11.0 mi) · reservable
- Arroyo Seco Group Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi)
- Memorial Campground18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Arroyo Seco19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anderson Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Anderson Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anderson Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anderson Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anderson Canyon?
How far is Anderson Canyon from Big Sur?
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.