Located in Clark County, Nevada, Grapevine Canyon is a canyon. It is part of Bridge Canyon Wilderness. The nearest town is Laughlin, about 7.4 km (4.6 mi) away (Grapevine Canyon lies NNW of town).
Grapevine Canyon is located in the Bridge Canyon Wilderness Area and the Spirit Mountain Wilderness within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The canyon contains the Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs and is accessible from Nevada State Route 163 which leads to Lower Grapevine Canyon Road. During non-drought years, the canyon contains a fresh water spring. The spring provides water for shrubbery along its path. While it was used by the Mohave people, the canyon may have served as a ritual location and for summer solstice observations. Various petroglyphs serve as evidence of use by the Mohave peopleFrom the Wikipedia article “Grapevine Canyon (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grapevine 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 242° (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 | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 60° ENE | 7:57 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:44 AM | 119° ESE | 4:31 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 5:47 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:01 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Grapevine Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 4:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:30 AM – 4:30 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:35 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:08 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:01 PM – 12:01 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:12 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:29 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.7 | 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 ≈ 20.77 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
- 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.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Grapevine Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Lake
Natural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grapevine Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Grapevine Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grapevine Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grapevine Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grapevine Canyon?
How far is Grapevine Canyon from Laughlin?
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.