Rattlesnake Canyon is a canyon in Mesa County, Colorado. It is part of Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness. It sits roughly 5.4 km (3.4 mi) SW of Loma.
Rattlesnake Canyon is a scenic area within the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness which in turn forms the core of the Bureau of Land Management administered McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in west central Colorado. The canyon contains nine natural arches, the second highest concentration of such arches in the United States, after the much better known Arches National Park. Access to the canyon is either by a strenuous seven mile hike from the Pollack Bench trailhead or by the Black Ridge access roads. The latter are reached via the adjacent Colorado National Monument. These dirt roads are open seasonally and should only be attempted in a high ground clearance four wheel drive vehicle under dry conditions due to steep, rocky grades. The arches loop trail descends and then circumnavigates a bench into the canyon. It passes six arches before arriving at Cedar Tree Arch. A...From the Wikipedia article “Rattlesnake Canyon (Colorado)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rattlesnake Canyon 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:46 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 120° ESE | 4:57 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Rattlesnake Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.5 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 56 | 59 | 73 | 82 | 96 | 100 | 102 | 98 | 95 | 85 | 69 | 54 |
| Low °F | -11 | -13 | 2 | 17 | 21 | 33 | 44 | 43 | 30 | 6 | -5 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Rattlesnake Canyon, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Saddlehorn Campground13.0 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Rabbit Valley13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Jouflas Campground13.8 km (8.6 mi)
- Knowles Overlook Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi)
- Westwater Campground (Ranger Station)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rattlesnake Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Rattlesnake Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rattlesnake Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rattlesnake Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rattlesnake Canyon?
How far is Rattlesnake Canyon from Loma?
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.