Limpia Canyon is a canyon in Jeff Davis County, Texas. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) NE of Fort Davis.
Limpia Canyon is a deep valley or canyon in the Davis Mountains of Jeff Davis County, Texas. It was cut by Limpia Creek and is its path southeastward from the northeastern slope of Mount Livermore, past Fort Davis and Wild Rose Pass, to its mouth at an elevation of 4,118 feet / 1,255 meters on the eastern edge of the Davis Mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Limpia Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Limpia Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:00 AM | 90° E | 8:07 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:53 AM | 62° ENE | 9:02 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:44 AM | 89° E | 7:53 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 117° ESE | 5:58 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 09m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 22m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:42 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:38 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:03 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:48 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 43m |
| June | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 08m |
| July | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:27 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 7:16 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 36m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 10m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Limpia Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 6:14 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 6:44 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:57 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:38 PM – 5:08 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 9:23 PM – 11:43 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and August as the cloudiest (43%). June 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 | 79 | 86 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 107 | 105 | 103 | 99 | 93 | 85 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 7 | 17 | 30 | 32 | 55 | 58 | 56 | 47 | 24 | 18 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
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 Limpia Canyon, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Limpia Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Limpia Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Limpia Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Limpia Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Limpia Canyon?
How far is Limpia Canyon from Fort Davis?
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.