Located in Pinal County, Arizona, Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a state park at about 741 m (2,431 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Superior, about 6.0 km (3.7 mi) away (Boyce Thompson Arboretum lies WSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum is the oldest and largest botanical garden in the state of Arizona. It is one of the oldest botanical institutions west of the Mississippi River. Founded in 1924 as a desert plant research facility and “living museum”, the arboretum is located in the Sonoran Desert on 392 acres (159 ha) along Queen Creek and beneath the towering volcanic remnant, Picketpost Mountain. Boyce Thompson Arboretum is on U.S. Highway 60, an hour's drive east from Phoenix and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Superior, Arizona. The arboretum has a visitor center, gift shop, research offices, greenhouses, a demonstration garden, picnic area, and a looping 1.5-mile (2.4 km) primary trail that leads visitors through various exhibits and natural areas. The exhibits include a cactus garden, palm and eucalyptus groves, an Australian exhibit, South American exhibit, aloe garden and an herb garden. ...From the Wikipedia article “Boyce Thompson Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boyce Thompson Arboretum 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:29 AM | 90° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 61° ENE | 7:38 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:14 AM | 89° E | 6:23 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:30 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:57 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 58m |
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 Boyce Thompson Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:04 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:19 PM – 3:29 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:15 PM – 2:05 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 7:56 PM – 9:56 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:15 PM – 8:05 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.9 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 (49%). 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 | 81 | 82 | 93 | 98 | 107 | 114 | 112 | 110 | 109 | 101 | 91 | 79 |
| Low °F | 16 | 19 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 53 | 65 | 64 | 50 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
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 state park
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Fees: OpenStreetMap lists an entrance or parking fee here.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Boyce Thompson Arboretum, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Natural Arch
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boyce Thompson Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Boyce Thompson Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boyce Thompson Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boyce Thompson Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boyce Thompson Arboretum?
How far is Boyce Thompson Arboretum from Superior?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap contributors, 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.