Cowboy Arch is a natural arch in Mohave County, Arizona at about 1,072 m (3,517 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Golden Valley, about 14.5 km (9.0 mi) away (Cowboy Arch lies SW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cowboy Arch 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 60° ENE | 7:56 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 119° ESE | 5:30 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:18 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 48m |
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 Cowboy Arch, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:34 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM | 3.0 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:11 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:28 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.7 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.44 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 79 | 79 | 91 | 98 | 107 | 115 | 116 | 112 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 59 | 47 | 28 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 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 natural arch
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Frame distant features through the opening of the arch for a natural window.
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cowboy Arch, closest first.
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Canyon
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cowboy Arch?
What time is golden hour at Cowboy Arch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cowboy Arch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cowboy Arch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cowboy Arch?
How far is Cowboy Arch from Golden Valley?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.