Little Santa Anita Canyon is a canyon in Los Angeles County, California. It sits roughly 1.2 km (0.7 mi) NE of Sierra Madre.
Little Santa Anita Canyon is a canyon in the southern San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest, within Los Angeles County, southern California, The canyon runs south from Mount Wilson down to the town of Sierra Madre. Little Santa Anita Creek, which flows in it, is dammed by the Sierra Madre Dam. The Mount Wilson Trail, a hiking trail along the western side of the canyon to the summit of Mount Wilson, has its trailhead in Sierra Madre.From the Wikipedia article “Little Santa Anita Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little Santa Anita 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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:08 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
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 | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 53m |
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 Little Santa Anita 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 8 (city 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 | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:25 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.08 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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 Little Santa Anita Canyon, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chilao Campground - Little Pines Loop16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Coulter Group Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Group Campground17.3 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Bandido Group Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Coldbrook Campground23 km (14 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Santa Anita Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Little Santa Anita Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little Santa Anita Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little Santa Anita Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little Santa Anita Canyon?
How far is Little Santa Anita Canyon from Sierra Madre?
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.