Saguaro Danzante — a scenic viewpoint in Pima County, Arizona — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 125 km (78 mi) SE of Fortuna Foothills.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Saguaro Danzante the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:38 AM | 90° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 62° ENE | 7:43 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:22 AM | 89° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 118° ESE | 5:34 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 03m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:05 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:13 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 04m |
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 Saguaro Danzante, 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 | 5:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:08 AM – 4:38 AM | 3.5 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:07 PM – 3:57 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:21 PM – 3:41 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:18 PM – 2:18 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:47 PM – 12:17 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:03 PM – 10:13 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:23 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.8 | 18° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 23% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (40%). August 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 | 84 | 84 | 94 | 96 | 99 | 110 | 110 | 108 | 108 | 102 | 93 | 85 |
| Low °F | 35 | 36 | 43 | 51 | 53 | 65 | 72 | 72 | 65 | 51 | 43 | 37 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
- Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Saguaro Danzante?
What time is golden hour at Saguaro Danzante?
Where does the sun rise and set at Saguaro Danzante?
Can you see the Milky Way from Saguaro Danzante?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Saguaro Danzante?
How far is Saguaro Danzante from Fortuna Foothills?
Sources
Location data: OpenStreetMap contributors. 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.