Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Evans Butte (Grand Canyon) is a rock formation. The nearest town is Grand Canyon, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Evans Butte (Grand Canyon) lies NW of town).
Evans Butte is a 6,379-foot-elevation (1,944-meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, US. It is situated at the north end of Sagittarius Ridge, three miles south-southwest of King Arthur Castle, and two miles southeast of Dox Castle. Topographic relief is significant as it rises over 4,100 feet (1,200 meters) above the Colorado River in 2.5 miles (4.0 km), and the north aspect rises 2,700 feet above Flint Creek in one mile. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Evans Butte is located in a cold semi-arid climate zone, with precipitation runoff draining west to the Colorado River via Shinumo Creek, Hotauta Canyon, and Monadnock Amphitheater. The butte is composed of Pennsylvanian-Permian Supai Group overlaying the cliff-forming Mississippian Redwall Limestone, and Cambrian Tonto Group. Evans Butte was climbed solo by Harvey...From the Wikipedia article “Evans Butte (Grand Canyon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Evans Butte (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 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:34 AM | 90° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 60° ENE | 7:51 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:18 AM | 89° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 119° ESE | 5:19 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Evans Butte (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 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:30 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:39 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:33 PM – 1:53 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:56 PM – 11:46 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:05 PM – 9:45 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:20 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 65 | 69 | 81 | 87 | 97 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 100 | 87 | 75 | 64 |
| Low °F | 4 | -2 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 38 | 50 | 47 | 32 | 17 | 14 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Evans Butte (Grand Canyon), closest first.
Canyon
Rock FormationRock Formation
Fire Lookout
Natural ArchNatural ArchCanyonNatural Arch
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Rim Campground (Az)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Demotte25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Mather Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Trailer Village Rv Park - South Rim25 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Evans Butte (Grand Canyon)?
What time is golden hour at Evans Butte (Grand Canyon)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Evans Butte (Grand Canyon)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Evans Butte (Grand Canyon)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Evans Butte (Grand Canyon)?
How far is Evans Butte (Grand Canyon) from Grand Canyon?
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.