Located in Delta County, Colorado, Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. The nearest town is Delta, about 30 km (19 mi) away (Dominguez Canyon Wilderness lies W of town).
The Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located southeast of Grand Junction in western Colorado. The 66,280-acre (268.2 km2) wilderness area established in 2009, the largest BLM roadless area in the state of Colorado, includes two major canyon systems that drain the northeastern corner of the Uncompahgre Plateau. The Wilderness Area is a portion of the larger Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, 209,610-acre (848.3 km2) in size.From the Wikipedia article “Dominguez Canyon Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dominguez Canyon Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 59° ENE | 8:43 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 120° ESE | 4:56 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:21 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July 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 | 55 | 58 | 73 | 80 | 93 | 98 | 99 | 95 | 93 | 82 | 70 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -10 | -4 | 15 | 20 | 31 | 43 | 44 | 26 | 6 | -1 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 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 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 Dominguez Canyon Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Pass
State Park
Natural Arch
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Aspen Leaf Cabin (Uncompahgre National Forest, Co)25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Oak Cabin25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dominguez Canyon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Dominguez Canyon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dominguez Canyon Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dominguez Canyon Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dominguez Canyon Wilderness?
How far is Dominguez Canyon Wilderness from Delta?
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.