Leigh Canyon — a canyon in Teton County, Wyoming — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Grand Teton National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 30 km (19 mi) ENE of Driggs.
Leigh Canyon is located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U. S. state of Wyoming. The canyon was formed by glaciers which retreated at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum approximately 15,000 years ago, leaving behind a U-shaped valley. Leigh Canyon is approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) long and is flanked by Mount Moran and Thor Peak to the north and Mount Woodring to the south. The canyon outlet is at Leigh Lake and at the head of the canyon lies Mink Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Leigh Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Leigh Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 56° NE | 9:09 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 123° ESE | 4:49 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 5:05 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:20 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Leigh Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:11 AM – 4:51 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:57 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 33 | 33 | 52 | 69 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 89 | 83 | 74 | 57 | 37 |
| Low °F | -32 | -31 | -23 | -10 | 5 | 22 | 28 | 29 | 18 | -3 | -19 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 |
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.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- 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.
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 Leigh Canyon, closest first.
CanyonLake
Glacier
LakeGlacier
Lake
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Jenny Lake Campground7.4 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Signal Mountain Campground11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Marina End Ties13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Rv Park13.6 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Colter Bay Campground13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Leigh Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Leigh Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Leigh Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Leigh Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Leigh Canyon?
How far is Leigh Canyon from Driggs?
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.