Courthouse Butte — a rock formation in Yavapai County, Arizona — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.5 km (1.6 mi) NNE of Village of Oak Creek (Big Park).
Courthouse Butte is a butte just north of the Village of Oak Creek, Arizona, United States, south of Sedona in Yavapai County. Summit elevation is 5,454 feet (1,662 m). It is just east of Bell Rock. There are many different trails to hike, bike, and run on around Courthouse Butte. One of the primary trails is a 4.5-mile trail starting from the North Bell Rock Trailhead. Courthouse Butte's first recorded ascent was done in the early 1900s. There are also many climbing routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.11+ with a bit of scrambling. Geologically, Courthouse Butte is composed of horizontally bedded sedimentary rock of the Permian Supai Formation.From the Wikipedia article “Courthouse Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Courthouse Butte the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 61° ENE | 7:44 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 118° ESE | 5:20 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 4:57 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 50m |
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 Courthouse Butte, 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:22 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:29 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:24 PM – 1:54 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:49 PM – 11:59 PM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:01 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 7:57 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.58 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 79 | 85 | 94 | 102 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -14 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 36 | 48 | 48 | 33 | 19 | 13 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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 rock formation
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Courthouse Butte, closest first.
Rock Formation
Dark Sky Place
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
National Forest
State ParkDark Sky Place
Natural Arch
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Chavez Crossing5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Crescent Moon Ranch Cabin5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Crescent Moon Ramada5.5 km (3.4 mi) · reservable
- Manzanita.15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Cave Spring22 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Courthouse Butte?
What time is golden hour at Courthouse Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Courthouse Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Courthouse Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Courthouse Butte?
How far is Courthouse Butte from Village of Oak Creek (Big Park)?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.