Bull Canyon — a canyon in San Bernardino County, California at about 796 m (2,612 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Twentynine Palms, about 86 km (53 mi) away (Bull Canyon lies NNE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bull Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 60° ENE | 8:00 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 118° ESE | 4:36 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:06 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Bull Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 4:21 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:34 AM – 4:34 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:45 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:10 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (42%). 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 | 86 | 86 | 94 | 102 | 112 | 117 | 119 | 117 | 115 | 105 | 92 | 79 |
| Low °F | 24 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 54 | 64 | 60 | 51 | 36 | 28 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
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 Bull Canyon, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bull Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Bull Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bull Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bull Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bull Canyon?
How far is Bull Canyon from Twentynine Palms?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.