Tijeras Canyon is a canyon in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The nearest town is Carnuel, about 6.7 km (4.2 mi) away (Tijeras Canyon lies ENE of town).
Tijeras Canyon (sometimes also referred to as Tijeras Pass) is a prominent canyon in the central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It separates the Sandia Mountains subrange to the north from the Manzano Mountains subrange (specifically the lower "Manzanitas" subrange) to the south. These subranges are part of the larger Sandia–Manzano Mountains; Tijeras Canyon forms a pass through this range. Elevations along the bottom of the canyon range from 5,600 feet (1,700 m) to 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above sea level. The canyon drains to the west, into a large dry wash known as Tijeras Arroyo, which runs through Kirtland Air Force Base, passes just south of the Albuquerque International Sunport, and then joins the Rio Grande. The arroyo heads at the historically important pass (approximately 7,040 feet (2,150 m)), and this pass and the entire canyon are traversed by Interstate 40,...From the Wikipedia article “Tijeras Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tijeras 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 60° ENE | 8:24 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 119° ESE | 4:58 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 | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Tijeras 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 | 4:44 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:22 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:09 PM – 3:59 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:04 PM – 2:34 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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 ≈ 20.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 65 | 70 | 79 | 86 | 97 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 86 | 73 | 64 |
| Low °F | 0 | -3 | 13 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 48 | 31 | 18 | 11 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Tijeras Canyon, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Cave
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cedro Peak Camping Sites - Robin And Jay6.3 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Pine Flat Picnic Sites - A And B8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Cienega Picnic Site9.9 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Doc Long Picnic Sites - A And B10.8 km (6.7 mi) · reservable
- Oak Yucca And Locust Group Picnic Sites11.0 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tijeras Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Tijeras Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tijeras Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tijeras Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tijeras Canyon?
How far is Tijeras Canyon from Carnuel?
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.