Calabasas — a ghost town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.
Calabasas (Spanish for "pumpkins") is a former populated place or ghost town, within the census-designated place of Rio Rico, a suburb of Nogales in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Calabasas, Arizona”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Calabasas the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:29 AM | 90° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 62° ENE | 7:32 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:13 AM | 89° E | 6:22 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 117° ESE | 5:26 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 06m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:11 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:56 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 07m |
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 Calabasas, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 10:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.8 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:10 PM – 3:40 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:07 PM – 2:07 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 7:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:14 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.39 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (62%). June 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 | 76 | 83 | 86 | 95 | 104 | 109 | 105 | 103 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 22 | 31 | 36 | 49 | 59 | 59 | 49 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
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 ghost town
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Calabasas, closest first.
LakeState Park
Dark Sky Place
Natural Arch
Ghost Town
Fire Lookout
State Park
Ghost Town
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Calabasas?
What time is golden hour at Calabasas?
Where does the sun rise and set at Calabasas?
Can you see the Milky Way from Calabasas?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Calabasas?
How far is Calabasas from Rio Rico?
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.