Located in Clark County, Nevada, El Dorado Canyon is a canyon. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) SSE of Boulder City.
El Dorado Canyon is a canyon in southern Clark County, Nevada famed for its rich silver and gold mines. The canyon was named in 1857 by steamboat entrepreneur Captain George Alonzo Johnson when gold and silver was discovered here. It drains into the Colorado River at the former site of Nelson's Landing. The town of Nelson lies in the upper reach of the canyon. Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours operates mid way in the canyon at the Techatticup Mine one of the oldest and most productive mines in the canyon.From the Wikipedia article “El Dorado Canyon (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At El Dorado 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 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 | 55° | 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 | 4:11 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 | 5:35 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:01 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 | 5:06 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 31m |
| 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 | 7:20 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:00 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:28 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 El Dorado 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 3 (rural sky), 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.32 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
- 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.
- 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 El Dorado Canyon, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Wilderness AreaWilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Willow Beach Campground19.1 km (11.9 mi)
- Willow Beach Rv Park19.1 km (11.9 mi)
- Cottonwood Cove Rv Park24 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph El Dorado Canyon?
What time is golden hour at El Dorado Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at El Dorado Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from El Dorado Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at El Dorado Canyon?
How far is El Dorado 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.