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42.7581° N103.8230° WBortle 1Denver

Sowbelly Canyon Photography Guide

Canyon in Sioux County, Nebraska

  • Bortle 1 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 238°–304°
  • Clearest: September
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep

Sowbelly Canyon is a canyon in Sioux County, Nebraska. It sits roughly 51 km (32 mi) E of Lusk.

Sowbelly Canyon is located in the northwestern corner of Nebraska. It is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) northeast of Harrison and is part of the Pine Ridge region. Sowbelly Canyon is a little-known portion of the Pine Ridge. The canyon can be viewed on a scenic driving route north of Harrison; the drive is approximately 11 miles (18 km) long. A bed and breakfast in the lower bluffs and pines of the canyon was destroyed by a wildfire in July 2006. Sowbelly Canyon was named when hungry soldiers who had been fleeing Indians were offered sowbelly (bacon) by the rescue party. Sowbelly Creek was named from the same incident.From the Wikipedia article “Sowbelly Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearest town
Lusk
51 km (32 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 1
Excellent dark-sky site
Clearest month
September
41% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.0 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:36 PM
sunset 6:14 PM

Light at Sowbelly Canyon

Live
Sunrise
7:15 AM
Sunset
6:06 PM
Golden hour AM
6:57 AM – 7:54 AM
Golden hour PM
5:27 PM – 6:24 PM
Blue hour AM
6:46 AM – 6:57 AM
Blue hour PM
6:24 PM – 6:35 PM
Full darkness
7:41 PM – 5:42 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:30 PM / 1:08 AM
Day length
10h 51m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Denver. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Sowbelly Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)6:59 AM90° E7:08 PM271° W47°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:18 AM56° ENE8:38 PM304° NW71°15h 20m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:43 AM89° E6:54 PM271° W48°12h 11m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:23 AM122° ESE4:25 PM238° WSW24°9h 02m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January6:52 AM7:24 AM8:08 AM4:03 PM4:47 PM5:18 PM9h 23m
February6:24 AM6:53 AM7:33 AM4:48 PM5:27 PM5:56 PM10h 34m
March6:40 AM7:08 AM7:46 AM6:24 PM7:02 PM7:30 PM11h 54m
April5:45 AM6:14 AM6:52 AM6:59 PM7:37 PM8:07 PM13h 23m
May5:01 AM5:34 AM6:14 AM7:31 PM8:11 PM8:44 PM14h 38m
June4:42 AM5:17 AM6:00 AM7:53 PM8:36 PM9:11 PM15h 19m
July4:57 AM5:31 AM6:13 AM7:51 PM8:33 PM9:06 PM15h 01m
August5:32 AM6:03 AM6:41 AM7:20 PM7:59 PM8:29 PM13h 56m
September6:07 AM6:36 AM7:13 AM6:30 PM7:07 PM7:35 PM12h 31m
October6:41 AM7:09 AM7:47 AM5:36 PM6:14 PM6:43 PM11h 05m
November6:18 AM6:48 AM7:30 AM3:51 PM4:34 PM5:04 PM9h 46m
December6:48 AM7:20 AM8:06 AM3:37 PM4:23 PM4:55 PM9h 03m

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 Sowbelly Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-4°—
FebruaryBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
March4:36 AM – 5:26 AM0.815°SSE → SSE
April2:39 AM – 4:29 AM1.818°SSE → S
May12:41 AM – 3:31 AM2.818°SSE → S
June10:52 PM – 2:52 AM4.018°SSE → SSW
July10:40 PM – 1:30 AM2.818°S → SSW
August9:47 PM – 11:37 PM1.818°S → SSW
September8:43 PM – 9:33 PM0.815°SSW → SSW
OctoberBelow 10° in darkness—9°—
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
DecemberBelow 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 41% average cloud cover) and February 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F6870798796105106103101887764
Low °F-9-11-612213646402800-9
Precip. (in)0.20.51.01.92.82.51.91.41.41.10.50.4

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

  • 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.
  • In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
  • Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.

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.

Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Sowbelly Canyon?
September has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
What time is golden hour at Sowbelly Canyon?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:36 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:14 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 7:47 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Sowbelly Canyon?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 56° in June to 122° in December; sunset ranges from 304° to 238°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Sowbelly Canyon?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sowbelly Canyon?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Sowbelly Canyon from Lusk?
About 51 km (32 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.