Located in Adams County, Idaho, Hells Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 46 km (29 mi) E of Joseph.
Hells Canyon is a ten-mile-wide (16 km) canyon in the Western United States, along the border of eastern Oregon, western Idaho, and a small section of eastern Washington. It is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area which is also located in part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It is North America's deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet (2,436 m), running deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The canyon was carved by the waters of the Snake River, which flows more than one mile (1.6 km) below the canyon's west rim on the Oregon side and 7,400 feet (2,260 m) below the peaks of Idaho's Seven Devils Mountains to the east. This area includes 214,000 acres (334 sq mi; 870 km2) of wilderness; most of the area is inaccessible by road.From the Wikipedia article “Hells Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hells Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:50 AM | 90° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 55° NE | 9:39 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:34 AM | 89° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:24 AM | 124° ESE | 5:07 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 | 7:50 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:10 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:31 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:39 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:45 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:37 PM | 10:15 PM | 15h 39m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:09 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:44 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:32 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:09 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Hells Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:51 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:50 AM – 4:00 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:12 AM – 3:22 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:55 PM – 2:05 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:51 PM – 12:01 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 29% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 43 | 51 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 94 | 100 | 95 | 91 | 85 | 63 | 47 |
| Low °F | -17 | -11 | -2 | 7 | 20 | 29 | 38 | 35 | 27 | 6 | -4 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Hells Canyon, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hells Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Hells Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hells Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hells Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hells Canyon?
How far is Hells Canyon from Joseph?
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.