Located in Yavapai County, Arizona, Camp Verde is a dark sky place. It lies in or next to Montezuma Castle National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It is certified as an International Dark Sky Community by DarkSky International.
Camp Verde (Yavapai: ʼMatthi:wa; Western Apache: Gambúdih) is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, Camp Verde had a population of 12,147. Every summer, the downtown area of Camp Verde is the site of the annual Corn Fest; held each year on the third Saturday in July, the popular event is sponsored and organized by local growers, Hauser and Hauser Farms. Other annual local events include the Pecan, Wine and Antiques Festival (February), the Crawdad Festival (June) and Fort Verde Days (October).From the Wikipedia article “Camp Verde, Arizona”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Camp Verde the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 61° ENE | 7:44 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:26 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 118° ESE | 5:21 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 51m |
Local time (America/Phoenix), 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 Camp Verde, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:23 PM – 2:03 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:00 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 7:57 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.76 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 79 | 85 | 94 | 102 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -14 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 36 | 48 | 48 | 33 | 19 | 13 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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 dark sky place
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. 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 40 km of Camp Verde, closest first.
State Park
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Ghost Town
National Forest
State Park
Dark Sky Place
Scenic Viewpoint
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Clear Creek Campground (Az)9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Sycamore Cabin26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Mingus Mountain Campground And Group Site28 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Crescent Moon Ranch Cabin29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Playground Group30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Camp Verde?
What time is golden hour at Camp Verde?
Where does the sun rise and set at Camp Verde?
Can you see the Milky Way from Camp Verde?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Camp Verde?
How far is Camp Verde from Camp Verde?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via 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.