Located in Randall County, Texas, Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon. It is part of Palo Duro State Park. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) E of Canyon.
Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo and Canyon. The eighth largest canyon system in the United States, it is roughly 45 mi (72 km) long and has an average width of 6 mi (9.7 km), but reaches a width of 20 mi (32 km) at places. Its depth is around 800 ft (240 m), but in some locations, valley bottom to surrounding hills increases to 1,000 ft (300 m). Palo Duro Canyon (from the Spanish meaning "hard stick") has been named "The Grand Canyon of Texas" both for its size and for its dramatic geological features, including the multicolored layers of rock and steep mesa walls, which are similar to those in the Grand Canyon. It runs through Palo Duro Canyon State Park.From the Wikipedia article “Palo Duro Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Palo Duro 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 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:51 AM | 90° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 60° ENE | 9:04 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:35 AM | 89° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 119° ESE | 5:40 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 48m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:33 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:20 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 7:05 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:27 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Palo Duro 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 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 | 5:25 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 6:29 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 5:03 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:50 PM – 4:40 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 1:10 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:21 PM – 11:11 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:38 PM – 9:18 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 80 | 88 | 94 | 104 | 106 | 115 | 113 | 111 | 103 | 98 | 88 | 78 |
| Low °F | 8 | 4 | 15 | 24 | 33 | 50 | 56 | 56 | 43 | 22 | 17 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
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
- 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.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Palo Duro Canyon, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Palo Duro Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Palo Duro Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Palo Duro Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Palo Duro Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Palo Duro Canyon?
How far is Palo Duro Canyon from Canyon?
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.