S P Crater — a volcano in Coconino County, Arizona at about 2,035 m (6,677 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 43 km (27 mi) N of Flagstaff.
S P Crater is a cinder cone volcano in the San Francisco volcanic field, 25 miles (40 km) north of Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is surrounded by several other cinder cones which are older and more eroded. It is a striking feature on the local landscape, with a well-defined lava flow that extends for 4.3 miles (7 km) to the north. American astronauts have used the crater to train for moonwalking.From the Wikipedia article “S P Crater”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At S P Crater 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 60° ENE | 7:46 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:15 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:28 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:14 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 46m |
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 S P Crater, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:20 AM – 5:10 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:25 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:33 PM – 3:23 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:51 PM – 11:51 PM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:02 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:48 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: 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 ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 90 | 101 | 106 | 106 | 104 | 102 | 91 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | 4 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 28 | 39 | 53 | 50 | 37 | 18 | 12 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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 volcano
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of S P Crater, closest first.
VolcanoVolcano
Dark Sky Place
Mountain Peak
Fire LookoutVolcanoVolcanoCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kendrick Cabin20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Bonito Campground (Az)25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lockett Meadow Campground25 km (15 mi)
- Oleary Group Site26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph S P Crater?
What time is golden hour at S P Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at S P Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from S P Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at S P Crater?
How far is S P Crater from Flagstaff?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.