Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park — a state park in Cochise County, Arizona — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is a state park of Arizona in the United States. Located in Tombstone, the park preserves the original Cochise County courthouse. The two-story building, constructed in 1882 in the Victorian style, is laid out in the shape of a cross and once contained various county offices, including those of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, and the Board of Supervisors as well as courtrooms and a jail. Inside, the courthouse contains a museum with numerous artifacts from the town's history while outside, a replica gallows has been constructed in the courtyard to mark the spot where seven men were hanged for various crimes. The park was one of the first to be designated as a state park and in 1959 was the first to open following the 1957 establishment of the Arizona State Parks Board.From the Wikipedia article “Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:25 AM | 90° E | 6:32 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 62° ENE | 7:29 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:09 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 117° ESE | 5:21 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 05m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:27 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 5:41 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:37 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:52 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 06m |
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 Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:54 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:07 PM – 3:27 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:04 PM – 2:04 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:33 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 7:49 PM – 9:59 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:10 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (62%). June 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 | 76 | 83 | 86 | 95 | 104 | 109 | 105 | 103 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 78 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 22 | 31 | 36 | 49 | 59 | 59 | 49 | 28 | 20 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 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 state park
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Dark Sky Place
Scenic Viewpoint
National ForestScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park?
What time is golden hour at Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park?
How far is Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park from Tombstone?
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.