Temple Butte is a mountain peak in Coconino County, Arizona at about 1,546 m (5,072 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) ENE of Grand Canyon.
Temple Butte, in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, US is a prominence below the East Rim. The butte lies on the west bank of the south-flowing Colorado River. The outfall from the Little Colorado River, draining from the Painted Desert to the east and southeast, is about two miles upstream. Temple Butte is 5,308 feet (1,618 m) in elevation. It is the historical site of some wreckage of the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision. It was first thought that smoke from Temple Butte, was due to a lightning strike fire, but later was found to be the result of the mid-air collision.From the Wikipedia article “Temple Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Temple Butte the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 60° ENE | 7:49 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:26 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:17 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 42m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:22 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Temple Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:12 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:37 PM – 3:17 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:31 PM – 1:51 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:54 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:03 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 62 | 67 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 77 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 0 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 50 | 49 | 32 | 16 | 15 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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 mountain peak
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Temple Butte, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Rock Formation
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Rock FormationRock FormationRock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Desert View Campground13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- North Rim Campground (Az)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Hull Cabin24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Trailer Village Rv Park - South Rim29 km (18 mi)
- Mather Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Temple Butte?
What time is golden hour at Temple Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Temple Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Temple Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Temple Butte?
How far is Temple Butte from Grand Canyon?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.