Grand Canyon National Park is a National Park in Arizona. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 24 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Grand Canyon
We matched 24 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Grand Canyon. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Scenic Viewpoints (3)
Waterfalls (2)
Natural Arches (3)
Mountain Peaks (2)
Canyons (6)
Canyon
Canyon
Canyon
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CanyonCanyonRock Formations (4)
Rock Formation
Rock FormationRock FormationRock FormationGhost Towns (1)
Fire Lookouts (2)
Dark Sky Places (1)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Grand Canyon 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 31° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 244° | 9h 59m |
| February | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 255° | 10h 54m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 283° | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 294° | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 300° | 14h 35m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 298° | 14h 22m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 288° | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 274° | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 260° | 11h 18m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 248° | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 242° | 9h 44m |
Computed for the park's reference point (36.0001, -112.1215); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Grand Canyon, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 11:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 9:37 PM – 3:17 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 9:31 PM – 1:51 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 8:54 PM – 11:54 PM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:04 PM – 9:44 PM | 1.7 | 22° |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:49 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Since Grand Canyon has elevations that range from 2,500 feet at the bottom to 8,400 feet on the North Rim, weather can vary significantly depending on the season and the specific location within the park. Winters tend to be cold and snowy, and summers have periods of excessive heat. High temperatures inside the canyon tend to be 20 to 30 degrees warmer then on the canyon's rims. Weather conditions can change rapidly, so it's wise to check forecasts before visiting.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (52%). 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 (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. 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.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $35.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $30.00 |
| Entrance - Per Person | $20.00 |
| Nonresident | $100.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
South Rim: Open all year, is located 60 miles north of Williams, Arizona (via route 64 from Interstate 40) and 80 miles northwest of Flagstaff (via route 180). Grand Canyon lies entirely within the state of Arizona. ---- North Rim: Select areas are open to public access between Oct 1 and Nov 14. View the park's news releases for details. The North Rim entrance station is located 30 miles south of Jacob Lake, AZ, on Highway 67; the actual rim of the canyon is an additional 14 miles south.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Cultural Demonstrations
- Auto and ATV
- Scenic Driving
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Road Biking
- Boating
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- Fishing
- Food
- Flying
- Guided Tours
- Hands-On
- Volunteer Vacation
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Horse Trekking
- Paddling
Nearby parks
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AZ/UT
AZ/CA