Red Canyon — a canyon in Sierra County, New Mexico — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.5 km (5.3 mi) SSW of Truth or Consequences.
Red Canyon is a canyon in the Caballo Mountains in Sierra County, New Mexico. The canyon has its head on the west slope of the mountains at 33°00′05″N 107°09′51″W. It descends westward to its mouth where the canyon emerges from the mountains near where its wash confluence with the Rio Grande at an elevation of 4,232 feet (1,290 meters).From the Wikipedia article “Red Canyon (Caballo Mountains)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Red Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 61° ENE | 8:22 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 118° ESE | 5:07 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 58m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Red Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | 4:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:50 AM – 5:50 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 5:06 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:27 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:12 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:46 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:40 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.63 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 70 | 76 | 80 | 88 | 96 | 101 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 77 | 71 |
| Low °F | 2 | -3 | 17 | 24 | 28 | 42 | 53 | 51 | 35 | 18 | 17 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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 Red Canyon, closest first.
State Park
Hot SpringHot Spring
Canyon
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Red Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Red Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Red Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Red Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Red Canyon?
How far is Red Canyon from Truth or Consequences?
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.