Located in Clark County, Nevada, Black Canyon of the Colorado is a canyon. It lies in or next to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Boulder City, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Black Canyon of the Colorado lies SSE of town).
The Black Canyon of the Colorado is the canyon on the Colorado River where Hoover Dam was built. The canyon is located on the Colorado River at the state line between Nevada and Arizona. The western wall of the gorge is in the El Dorado Mountains, and the eastern wall is in the Black Mountains of Arizona. The canyon formed about 15 million years ago during the Miocene Basin and Range uplift. Black Canyon gets its name from the black volcanic rocks that are found throughout the area. Just south of the Hoover Dam on the Nevada side of the canyon is the Sauna Cave. This cave was drilled by miners working on Hoover Dam while it was being constructed. It is a deep cave with calcium carbonate crystals on the walls. At the end of the cave is a hot spring, which causes temperatures in the cave to reach 120 °F (49 °C). One prominent canyon that splits from this canyon south of the Hoover Dam...From the Wikipedia article “Black Canyon of the Colorado”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Canyon of the Colorado 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 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:43 AM | 90° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 60° ENE | 7:59 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 119° ESE | 4:30 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:00 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 45m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Canyon of the Colorado, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:22 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:33 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 3:48 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:01 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:04 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.1 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 79 | 79 | 91 | 98 | 107 | 115 | 116 | 112 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 59 | 47 | 28 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Black Canyon of the Colorado, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Canyon
Natural Arch
Hot SpringHot SpringNatural ArchHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Willow Beach Campground9.3 km (5.7 mi)
- Willow Beach Rv Park9.3 km (5.7 mi)
- Lake Mead Rv Village27 km (17 mi)
- Boulder Beach Group Campsites27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Beach Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Canyon of the Colorado?
What time is golden hour at Black Canyon of the Colorado?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Canyon of the Colorado?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Canyon of the Colorado?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Canyon of the Colorado?
How far is Black Canyon of the Colorado from Boulder 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.