Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Arizona. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Hubbell Trading Post 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 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:28 PM | 244° | 10h 00m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 255° | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:52 PM | 283° | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:17 PM | 294° | 14h 03m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 300° | 14h 34m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:35 PM | 298° | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:09 PM | 288° | 13h 31m |
| September | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:27 PM | 274° | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:44 PM | 260° | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:12 PM | 248° | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 242° | 9h 45m |
Computed for the park's reference point (35.7073, -109.5600); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Hubbell Trading Post, 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 | 5:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:11 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:25 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:43 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:43 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:39 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
Spring is normally windy. Summer can reach into high 90s with thunderstorms beginning in July into August. Fall is cooling off. Last couple of Winters have been dry and with a couple of inches of snow.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 25% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (53%). 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.
Getting there
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site is located at mile post 446.3 on AZ state route 264. Visitors traveling on I-40 can take U.S. Highway 191 North to Ganado and drive west on Hwy. 264. If you are traveling from Gallup, New Mexico, you may take U.S. Highway 491 North to U.S. Highway 264 west toward Ganado, through Window Rock,Arizona. When you are driving south from Chinle, Arizona on Hwy. 191 you will drive east when you reach Hwy. 264.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Arts and Culture
- Guided Tours
- Junior Ranger Program
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
Nearby parks
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NM
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