Located in Clark County, Nevada, Boulder Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) NE of Boulder City.
Boulder Canyon, originally Devils Gate Canyon, is a canyon on the Colorado River, above Hoover Dam, now flooded by Lake Mead. It lies between Clark County, Nevada and Mohave County, Arizona. It heads at western end of the Virgin River Basin of Lake Mead, at about 36°09′05″N 114°32′51″W. Boulder Canyon divides the Black Mountains into the Black Mountains of Arizona, and the Black Mountains of Nevada. Its mouth is now under the eastern end of the Boulder Basin of Lake Mead, between Canyon Point in Nevada and Canyon Ridge in Arizona. Its original mouth is now underneath Lake Mead between Beacon Rock and Fortification Ridge on the southern shore in Arizona.From the Wikipedia article “Boulder Canyon (Colorado River)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boulder Canyon 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 77° in summer but only 30° 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) | 5:22 AM | 60° ENE | 8:00 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 119° ESE | 4:28 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:32 PM | 4:59 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Boulder Canyon, 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:02 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:29 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 109 | 116 | 116 | 115 | 113 | 100 | 89 | 75 |
| Low °F | 20 | 21 | 26 | 33 | 39 | 51 | 68 | 62 | 47 | 29 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 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
- 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.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Boulder Canyon, closest first.
Hot Spring
Scenic ViewpointHot Spring
BeachScenic ViewpointHot Spring
Ghost Town
Natural ArchHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Callville Bay Rv Park9.2 km (5.7 mi)
- Callville Bay Campground9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Beach Campground19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Lake Mead Rv Village19.6 km (12.2 mi)
- Boulder Beach Group Campsites19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boulder Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Boulder Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boulder Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boulder Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boulder Canyon?
How far is Boulder Canyon 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.