Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness — a wilderness area in Mohave County, Arizona — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument. The nearest town is Scenic, about 44 km (27 mi) away (Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness lies SSE of town).
Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness is a protected wilderness area in the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in the U.S. state of Arizona. Established in 1984 under the Arizona Wilderness Act the area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This desert wilderness is a 12-mile stretch of the Grand Wash Cliffs encompassing escarpments, canyons, and sandstone buttes that make up the transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range Province. The elevation ranges from 2,650 feet (807 m) to 6,700 feet (2042 m). Vegetation includes an assortment of Mojave Desert shrubs below the cliffs as well as a pinyon-juniper woodland above. Wildlife in the area include gila monsters, desert tortoise, and desert bighorn sheep.From the Wikipedia article “Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness 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 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:40 AM | 90° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 60° ENE | 7:57 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:24 AM | 89° E | 6:34 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 119° ESE | 5:24 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 40m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:37 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:17 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:39 AM – 5:19 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:30 AM – 4:20 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:16 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:01 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:02 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:11 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:26 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.79 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 December as the cloudiest (50%). 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 | 73 | 74 | 86 | 93 | 102 | 109 | 108 | 108 | 105 | 94 | 83 | 69 |
| Low °F | 11 | 13 | 20 | 26 | 31 | 43 | 59 | 55 | 40 | 21 | 18 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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 wilderness area
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness?
How far is Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness from Scenic?
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.