Located in San Diego County, California, Goat Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 4.8 km (3.0 mi) S of Imperial Beach.
Goat Canyon (Spanish: Cañón de los Laureles) also known as Cañón de los Laureles, begins in Tijuana, Mexico, and ends in the United States just north of the Mexico–U.S. border. The canyon is formed by Goat Canyon Creek, which receives water and other runoff from areas south of the border. Most of the canyon and its watershed lies within Baja California. The canyon originated during the Quaternary period; it is bordered by Bunker Hill to its west and Spooner's Mesa to its east. Part of the canyon contains coastal salt marshland and supports numerous sensitive and endangered species.From the Wikipedia article “Goat Canyon (Tijuana River Valley)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goat 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:00 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:47 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 00m |
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 | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 01m |
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 Goat Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:17 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:24 PM – 4:14 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:39 PM – 3:59 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:35 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:28 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.8 | 18° | 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 ≈ 18.97 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (81%). September is the warmest month and February 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 | 74 | 77 | 81 | 78 | 81 | 78 | 83 | 83 | 86 | 89 | 82 | 73 |
| Low °F | 48 | 48 | 51 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 57 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 51 | 51 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Goat Canyon, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goat Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Goat Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goat Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goat Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goat Canyon?
How far is Goat Canyon from Imperial Beach?
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.