Located in Los Angeles County, California, Turnbull Canyon is a canyon. The nearest town is Whittier, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Turnbull Canyon lies NE of town).
Turnbull Canyon near Whittier, California is an east–west canyon with relatively steep drainage. The canyon has a creek at its bottom that supports a narrow strip of riparian woodland dominated by sycamore trees, while the slopes are covered in coastal sage and native and non-native grasses. The Puente Hills Preserve has a 4-mile loop trail that lies in the northern-central part of the preserve.From the Wikipedia article “Turnbull Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Turnbull 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 79° in summer but only 33° 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 | 8:07 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 7:35 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 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 | 7:49 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 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 24m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 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 | 7:31 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Turnbull 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 9 (inner-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 | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.87 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (68%). September is the warmest month and February 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 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 77 | 80 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 78 | 74 |
| Low °F | 49 | 49 | 48 | 49 | 53 | 54 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 52 | 49 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Turnbull Canyon, closest first.
Hot Spring
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Canyon
Fire Lookout
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Turnbull Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Turnbull Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Turnbull Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Turnbull Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Turnbull Canyon?
How far is Turnbull Canyon from Whittier?
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.