Bohler Canyon is a canyon in Mono County, California. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) NNW of Mammoth Lakes.
Bohler Canyon is a valley in Mono County, California, in the United States. 85 species of birds have been identified in Bohler Canyon, and many arborglyphs where Basque shepherds and others carved their names into trees. Bohler Canyon was named for Joseph Bohler, an early settler.From the Wikipedia article “Bohler Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bohler Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 59° ENE | 8:23 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:10 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Bohler Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:07 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:06 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 67 | 72 | 86 | 91 | 96 | 91 | 90 | 82 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -9 | -7 | -4 | -3 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 14 | -9 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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 Bohler Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Volcano
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca)12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Oh Ridge12.4 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Saddlebag Lake Trailhead Group Camp13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- June Lake13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Gull Lake Campground14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bohler Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Bohler Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bohler Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bohler Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bohler Canyon?
How far is Bohler Canyon from Mammoth Lakes?
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.