Gold Canyon is a canyon in Nevada County, California. The nearest town is Nevada City, about 25 km (16 mi) away (Gold Canyon lies NE of town).
Gold Canyon is located a few miles south of Alleghany, California, United States, on the border between Sierra and Nevada Counties. The middle fork of the Yuba River flows through the canyon. Gold mining began in Gold Canyon in the early 1850s and has continued to present day. Three major gold mines are located here: German Bar Mine, Gold Canõn Mine, and Independent Mine. In 1859 the Gold Canyon area became the first to ban Chinese miners, after a group of 50 Chinese miners had earned a reported $35,000. This decision was adapted elsewhere, and laid the foundation for Senator William Morris Stewart's U.S. Mining Act of 1866, which prohibited Chinese workers from holding original mining claims. Before power was brought to the area, the nearby Plumbago Mine built a power plant on the river next to the present day bridge. A dam was also built about a mile up river which fed a...From the Wikipedia article “Gold Canyon (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gold Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Gold Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.49 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 67 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 98 | 102 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | 0 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 27 | 39 | 38 | 27 | 21 | -1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 7.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Gold Canyon, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
CanyonWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White Cloud12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Skillman13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Ramshorn13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Rocky Rest15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Indian Valley16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gold Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Gold Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gold Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gold Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gold Canyon?
How far is Gold Canyon from Nevada City?
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.