Located in Camas County, Idaho, Black Magic Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) NNE of Shoshone.
Black Magic Canyon is a small canyon located north of Shoshone, Idaho along Idaho State Highway 75. It was created by the Big Wood River over the last 10,000 years. The river carved this canyon through 800,000-year-old basalt lava flows leaving sculpted black rock reminiscent of Utah's slot canyons. Because of irrigation use during the summer and snowfall in winter, the canyon is best explored in spring or fall.From the Wikipedia article “Black Magic Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Magic Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 56° NE | 9:21 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:07 AM | 122° ESE | 5:06 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 8:51 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:28 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Black Magic Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 5:19 AM – 6:09 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:26 AM – 4:06 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:27 PM – 2:17 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:31 PM – 12:11 AM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:26 PM – 10:06 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 45 | 50 | 63 | 75 | 86 | 94 | 98 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 64 | 45 |
| Low °F | -21 | -16 | -8 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 35 | 33 | 24 | 6 | -29 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Black Magic Canyon, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Magic Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Black Magic Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Magic Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Magic Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Magic Canyon?
How far is Black Magic Canyon from Shoshone?
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.