Owens River Gorge is a canyon in Mono County, California. The nearest town is Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Owens River Gorge lies NW of town).
The Owens River Gorge is a steep 10 mi (16 km) canyon on the upper Owens River in eastern California in the United States. The canyon is located at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Mono County, along the stretch of the river where it exits the Long Valley near its source and enters the north end of Owens Valley. The gorge is a popular destination for rock climbing.From the Wikipedia article “Owens River Gorge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Owens River Gorge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 59° ENE | 8:20 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 120° ESE | 4:40 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 35m |
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 Owens River Gorge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:01 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:11 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:25 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 53 | 60 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -12 | -14 | -3 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 31 | 20 | 9 | -7 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
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.
- 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 Owens River Gorge, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Lake
Canyon
Hot Spring
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
LakeMountain Peak
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tuff Campground4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- French Camp6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Group (Inyo)10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Crowley Lake Campground13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Crowley Lake Campground13.3 km (8.3 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Owens River Gorge?
What time is golden hour at Owens River Gorge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Owens River Gorge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Owens River Gorge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Owens River Gorge?
How far is Owens River Gorge from Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek?
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.