Located in Riverside County, California, Chino Canyon is a canyon. The nearest town is Palm Springs, about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) away (Chino Canyon lies NNW of town).
Chino Canyon is a 5.5-mile-long (8.9 km) desert canyon in Riverside County, California, United States. It is one of the steepest canyons in North America, dropping from over 8,500 feet (2,600 m) at the south rim to less than 2,700 feet (820 m) on the valley floor in less than a mile. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was built in the canyon in 1963 to quickly transport people from the valley floor to the top of the mountain. After it was redesigned in 2000, it became the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. The canyon is located in the northern end of the San Jacinto Mountains at the northwestern end of the Coachella Valley. Its associated stream is a tributary of the Whitewater River. The upper reaches of the canyon are bordered by Mount San Jacinto State Park, while the lower end terminates near California State Highway 111, and is being encroached by the outskirts of...From the Wikipedia article “Chino Canyon (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chino 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) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 118° ESE | 4:42 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Chino Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:43 PM – 3:43 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:39 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:16 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.24 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (41%). 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 | 84 | 90 | 94 | 100 | 109 | 117 | 118 | 115 | 115 | 104 | 92 | 82 |
| Low °F | 26 | 28 | 33 | 37 | 42 | 48 | 59 | 56 | 48 | 40 | 30 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
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 Chino Canyon, closest first.
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
State Park
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
National Forest
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Black Mountain (San Bernardino)15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
- Dark Canyon Campground 16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Marion Mountain16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Basin17.4 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
- Fern Basin17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chino Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Chino Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chino Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chino Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chino Canyon?
How far is Chino Canyon from Palm Springs?
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.