Wind River Canyon — a canyon in Hot Springs County, Wyoming — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Thermopolis, about 14.2 km (8.8 mi) away (Wind River Canyon lies S of town).
Wind River Canyon is a canyon in Wyoming on the Wind River. It is located between the towns of Shoshoni and Thermopolis and is a popular stop for visitors to Yellowstone National Park. It is accessible by U.S. Highway 20 and Wyoming Highway 789. It was designated as a Wyoming Scenic Byway in 2005.From the Wikipedia article “Wind River Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wind River 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 304° (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) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 56° NE | 8:58 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 123° ESE | 4:40 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Wind River Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | 5:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 3:08 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:45 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:48 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 9:43 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 ≈ 21.9 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 (69%). July 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 | 57 | 56 | 68 | 79 | 90 | 94 | 99 | 96 | 94 | 81 | 70 | 52 |
| Low °F | -15 | -15 | -3 | 7 | 17 | 28 | 39 | 37 | 21 | 2 | -8 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Wind River Canyon, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wind River Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Wind River Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wind River Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wind River Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wind River Canyon?
How far is Wind River Canyon from Thermopolis?
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.