Cozy Dell Canyon — a canyon in Ventura County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Meiners Oaks, about 4.1 km (2.5 mi) away (Cozy Dell Canyon lies NNE of town).
Cozy Dell Canyon is a canyon in the Topatopa Mountains immediately north of Meiners Oaks and three miles northwest of the Ojai Valley in central-western parts of Ventura County, California. It is located between Sheldon Canyon, Kennedy Canyon and McDonald Canyon, immediately east of the Ventura River. It is situated in the Los Padres National Forest and may be reached from numerous trailheads including the Cozy Dell Trail located in Ojala. It is the type locality for the Cozy Dell Shale and the name was first applied in 1928 by Kerr and Schenck. It is recognized for its natural beauty, creeks and creek beds, endemic wildflowers, diverse wildlife, rock formations, as well as panoramic views of surrounding mountains and the entire Ojai Valley.From the Wikipedia article “Cozy Dell Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cozy Dell 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 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) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 61° ENE | 8:14 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 118° ESE | 4:51 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Cozy Dell 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 5 (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 | 4:35 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 4:47 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 4:11 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:18 PM – 12:28 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:27 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 93 | 99 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 43 | 48 | 50 | 42 | 37 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Cozy Dell Canyon, closest first.
Hot Spring
Waterfall
LakeWaterfallWaterfall
Beach
Hot Spring
State Park
BeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wheeler Gorge3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Holiday Group Campground4.0 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Rose Valley Campground9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Middle Lion Campground11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Reyes Peak Campground17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cozy Dell Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Cozy Dell Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cozy Dell Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cozy Dell Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cozy Dell Canyon?
How far is Cozy Dell Canyon from Meiners Oaks?
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.