Located in Lincoln County, Washington, Halverson Canyon is a canyon. The nearest town is Davenport, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Halverson Canyon lies NW of town).
The Halverson Canyon is a canyon in the U.S. state of Washington. The canyon is an offshoot of the Columbia River valley. The canyon is named after Halvor Halverson (an immigrant from Norway), who operated a lumber mill in the area.From the Wikipedia article “Halverson Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Halverson Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:56 AM | 53° NE | 8:57 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 125° SE | 4:04 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:19 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:40 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:03 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:14 AM | 4:55 AM | 5:44 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:36 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:32 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:58 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:09 PM | 4:03 PM | 4:39 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Halverson Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:29 AM – 3:59 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:30 AM – 2:50 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:04 AM – 1:44 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:33 PM – 12:43 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 10:43 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 27% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 57 | 58 | 71 | 84 | 94 | 103 | 104 | 103 | 96 | 82 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -13 | -2 | 3 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 45 | 46 | 33 | 18 | 2 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Halverson Canyon, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Jones Bay Campground8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Hawk Creek Campground14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Fort Spokane14.6 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Keller Ferry Campground (Concessionaire-Operated)16.2 km (10.0 mi)
- Keller Ferry Group Sites (Concessionaire-Operated)16.4 km (10.2 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Halverson Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Halverson Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Halverson Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Halverson Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Halverson Canyon?
How far is Halverson Canyon from Davenport?
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.