Slit Rock — a natural arch in Pima County, Arizona at about 682 m (2,238 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Three Points, about 126 km (78 mi) away (Slit Rock lies WSW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Slit Rock 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) | 6:35 AM | 90° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 62° ENE | 7:40 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:19 AM | 89° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 117° ESE | 5:31 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 04m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:17 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 5:51 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:26 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:24 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 05m |
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 Slit Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:04 AM – 4:34 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:04 PM – 3:54 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:17 PM – 3:37 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:43 PM – 12:13 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:59 PM – 10:09 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:20 PM – 8:10 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.81 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 July as the cloudiest (47%). 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 | 89 | 90 | 100 | 101 | 108 | 117 | 115 | 113 | 113 | 105 | 99 | 87 |
| Low °F | 24 | 24 | 35 | 39 | 47 | 58 | 65 | 67 | 58 | 42 | 32 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 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
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Slit Rock, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Twin Peaks Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Alamo Canyon Primitive Campground 30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Slit Rock?
What time is golden hour at Slit Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Slit Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Slit Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Slit Rock?
How far is Slit Rock from Three Points?
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.