Box Canyon — a canyon in Pierce County, Washington — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Mount Rainier National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 49 km (31 mi) ESE of Eatonville.
From the National Park Service
Season: Summer Only (June - September) Box Canyon is located along Stevens Canyon Road, which is open to vehicles during the summer season only, typically late May-September. Box Canyon is a narrow slot canyon carved by the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River. The Box Canyon Area includes an overlook, comfort station, picnic area, and a short loop trail. NOTE: No potable water or flush toilets available at Box Canyon in 2026. The Box Canyon Bridge is part of Stevens Canyon Road and was built between 1950-1952 in the National Park Service rustic style. It is a spandrel arch bridge 160 feet long and about 41 feet wide with a veneer of native granite. The lower Box Canyon Overlook provides an excellent view of the bridge, looking northwest towards Mount Rainier. From the bridge, look down 180 feet below at the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River rushing through the narrow slot canyon. About 100 feet west of the Box Canyon Bridge, Stevens Canyon Road passes through the Box Canyon Tunnel . The tunnel is 160 feet long. Unlike the other two tunnels found in the park (one further west along Stevens Canyon Road and one on SR123), this tunnel does not have portals covered with masonry and the tunnel walls are bare rock. The tunnel clearance is 12 feet, 6 inches. The Box Canyon Picnic Area is located to the west of the tunnel, with a separate parking area. The main Box Canyon parking area and comfort station is located east of the bridge. From the parking area, a short, paved path leads down to the Box Canyon overlook . Three interpretive exhibit panels provide information about the geology and history of the area.
Hiking The Box Canyon Loop Trail is 0.5 miles long and paved. Starting from the east side of Box Canyon Bridge, the trail follows the edge of the canyon northwest towards Mount Rainier, crosses the canyon over a wood footbridge, then follows the other side of the canyon back to Stevens Canyon Road. The western side of the trail does have some steps. Rounded, exposed bedrock borders the trail on the east side of the canyon. Look for fine striations or scratches across the rock’s surface left behind by the movement of past glaciers that once filled this canyon. The Box Canyon Loop Trail connects to the Wonderland Trail , which crosses the road over the top of the Stevens Canyon Road tunnel if heading northwest, or climbs towards Indian Bar if heading nor
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Box Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 54° NE | 9:05 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 125° SE | 4:22 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 32m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:00 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:52 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:55 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Box Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:33 AM – 3:03 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:15 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:32 PM – 1:12 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:10 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:05 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.45 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). August 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 | 55 | 54 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 81 | 59 | 47 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 27 | 14 | -11 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 6.7 |
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Box Canyon, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Lake
Lake
Mountain PeakWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ohanapecosh Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Ohanapecosh Group Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- La Wis Wis Campground10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Campground11.8 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Cougar Rock Group Campground11.8 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Box Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Box Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Box Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Box Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Box Canyon?
How far is Box Canyon from Eatonville?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.