Picture Canyon — a canyon in Baca County, Colorado — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Boise City, about 38 km (23 mi) away (Picture Canyon lies NW of town).
Picture Canyon, located in the Comanche National Grassland in southeastern Colorado, was named for its prehistoric rock art. There is evidence of prehistoric inhabitation of sites in Picture Canyon by Paleo-Indian, Archaic and Post-Archaic cultures, from about 12,000 years ago to 400 years ago. In addition to rock art, there are also carvings in walls that are used to identify the entry into fall and spring equinoxes.From the Wikipedia article “Picture Canyon (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Picture Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 60° ENE | 8:15 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 119° ESE | 4:38 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Picture Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:48 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 3:56 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:05 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 75 | 79 | 86 | 93 | 102 | 109 | 108 | 106 | 104 | 93 | 84 | 73 |
| Low °F | 4 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 26 | 43 | 53 | 51 | 34 | 16 | 8 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
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.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- 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 Picture Canyon, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Rock Formation
State Park
Rock FormationFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Picture Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Picture Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Picture Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Picture Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Picture Canyon?
How far is Picture Canyon from Boise City?
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.