Sawpit Canyon — a canyon in San Bernardino County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.3 km (3.9 mi) NW of Crestline.
Sawpit Canyon is a steep valley or canyon in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California. Its mouth is at an elevation of 3,386 feet (1,032 meters). Its source is located at 34°14′43″N 117°20′56″W and lies at an elevation of 5,100 feet, just east of Monument Peak. Its creek was a tributary of the West Fork Mojave River, its original mouth now under Silverwood Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Sawpit Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sawpit 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) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 61° ENE | 8:05 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 118° ESE | 4:44 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 | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:10 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 Sawpit 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 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:02 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:19 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: 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 ≈ 19.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (44%). 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 | 77 | 82 | 87 | 93 | 103 | 110 | 111 | 109 | 109 | 98 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 35 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 40 | 33 | 24 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 |
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
- 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 flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Sawpit Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Lake
Waterfall
Canyon
Mountain Pass
Scenic ViewpointCanyon
Hot Spring
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dogwood 12.3 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Applewhite Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi)
- Applewhite Campground (Ca)14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- North Shore (Ca)15.6 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Fishermans Group21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sawpit Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Sawpit Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sawpit Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sawpit Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sawpit Canyon?
How far is Sawpit Canyon from Crestline?
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.