Noble Canyon is a canyon in San Diego County, California at about 1,142 m (3,747 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Pine Valley, about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) away (Noble Canyon lies NNE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Noble 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 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 61° ENE | 7:58 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 118° ESE | 4:44 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:09 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Noble Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:23 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:02 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:27 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.8 | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.84 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 20% 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 | 80 | 88 | 90 | 95 | 105 | 111 | 111 | 109 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 81 |
| Low °F | 24 | 24 | 31 | 31 | 37 | 43 | 53 | 50 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
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 Noble Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Waterfall
State Park
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaWaterfall
Wilderness AreaCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- El Prado Group6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Laguna7.3 km (4.5 mi) · reservable
- Horse Heaven Group7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Wooded Hill Group8.2 km (5.1 mi) · reservable
- Burnt Rancheria9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Noble Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Noble Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Noble Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Noble Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Noble Canyon?
How far is Noble Canyon from Pine Valley?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.