Newton Butte — a rock formation in Coconino County, Arizona — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Grand Canyon National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Grand Canyon, about 7.8 km (4.8 mi) away (Newton Butte lies E of town).
Newton Butte, in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States is a prominence below the South Rim, northwest of Grandview Point, and north on a ridgeline from Shoshone Point which is one mile east of Yaki Point, East Rim Drive. Shoshone Point and Yaki are both on access roads from East Rim Drive, with Yaki being the more advantageous to different viewing directions. Newton Butte is 5,940 feet (1,811 m), and located on a point/ridge, just south of Granite Gorge on the Colorado River. The point location of Newton Butte extends due north from an intermediate point on the South Rim, Shoshone Point, which at the end of the Newton Butte point ridgeline, also forms the west perimeter of the Lonetree Canyon drainage, into Granite Gorge. Just north of Newton Butte, 3/4 mi on the end of the point, is Pattie Butte, a lower elevation prominence, 5,306 feet (1,617 m).From the Wikipedia article “Newton Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Newton 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 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 60° ENE | 7:49 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:27 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 42m |
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 | 8:17 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Newton 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 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:22 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:37 PM – 3:17 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:31 PM – 1:51 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:54 PM – 11:54 PM | 3.0 | 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 | — | 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: 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Newton Butte, closest first.
Natural Arch
Canyon
Canyon
Dark Sky Place
Rock FormationRock Formation
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Trailer Village Rv Park - South Rim5.6 km (3.5 mi)
- Mather Campground6.2 km (3.8 mi) · reservable
- Hull Cabin14.0 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Tusayan - Montane15.1 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- North Rim Campground (Az)16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Newton Butte?
What time is golden hour at Newton Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Newton Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Newton Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Newton Butte?
How far is Newton 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.