Located in Coconino County, Arizona, Hancock Butte is a rock formation. It sits roughly 27 km (17 mi) NNE of Grand Canyon.
Hancock Butte is a 7,683-foot-elevation (2,342-meter) summit located in the Grand Canyon, in Coconino County of northern Arizona, US. It is situated one mile south of the Point Imperial viewpoint on the canyon's North Rim, where it towers 3,700 feet (1,100 meters) above Nankoweap Canyon. Its nearest higher neighbor is Mount Hayden, one mile to the north-northeast, Kibbey Butte is one mile to the south-southwest, and Brady Peak is 1.5 mile to the southeast. Hancock Butte is named after William A. Hancock (1831–1902), a pioneer and politician of the Arizona Territory known for performing the survey work required to create the town of Phoenix and erecting the first building there in 1870. This geographical feature's name was officially adopted in 1932 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Hancock Butte is located in a Cold...From the Wikipedia article “Hancock Butte (Arizona)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hancock Butte 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) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 60° ENE | 7:49 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:26 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:17 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 | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:22 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:45 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 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 Hancock Butte, 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 | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:23 AM – 4:13 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:29 PM – 3:39 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:32 PM – 1:52 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:55 PM – 11:45 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:04 PM – 9:44 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:49 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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 62 | 67 | 79 | 86 | 96 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 77 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 0 | 15 | 20 | 26 | 38 | 50 | 49 | 32 | 16 | 15 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 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 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Hancock Butte, closest first.
Rock Formation
Natural ArchNatural Arch
WaterfallWaterfallNatural ArchNatural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Rim Campground (Az)9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Demotte22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Trailer Village Rv Park - South Rim26 km (16 mi)
- Mather Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Desert View Campground28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hancock Butte?
What time is golden hour at Hancock Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hancock Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hancock Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hancock Butte?
How far is Hancock Butte 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.