Pyramid Canyon is a canyon in Clark County, Nevada. It sits roughly 3.8 km (2.4 mi) N of Laughlin.
Pyramid Canyon is the canyon on the Colorado River where Davis Dam was built on the state line between Nevada and Arizona. The canyon is located on the Colorado River, between Cottonwood Valley on the north and the Mohave Valley to the south. To the west of the canyon are the Newberry Mountains, and to the east are the Black Mountains of Arizona. Originally a deep canyon between the two ranges containing the free flowing Colorado River, Pyramid Canyon is now filled by the lower reach of Lake Mohave a reservoir formed by Davis Dam.From the Wikipedia article “Pyramid Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pyramid 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 | 5:59 AM | 6:25 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 | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 04m |
| 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 | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:56 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 | 7:19 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 Pyramid 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.83 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.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- 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 Pyramid Canyon, closest first.
Canyon
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Natural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pyramid Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Pyramid Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pyramid Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pyramid Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pyramid Canyon?
How far is Pyramid 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.