Black Birch Canyon is a canyon in Garfield County, Utah. It lies in or next to Bryce Canyon National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Panguitch, about 41 km (25 mi) away (Black Birch Canyon lies SSE of town).
From the National Park Service
The park has its share of misnomers (Mossy Cave isn't a cave, the canyon isn't really a canyon...) and Black Birch Canyon would be another. Since black birch (Betula lenta) only occurs in the east, it's likely quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) were mistaken for these. Birch are famous for having bark that peels back like paper; aspen bark does not peel. Whereas aspen leaves are perfectly flat, birch leaves are slightly "V" shaped and more elongated than Quaking Aspen leaves. Trails No trails depart from this area. Landscape Features To the South See the hoodoos eroded from the edge of the Paunsaugunt plateau contained within a bowl-shaped amphitheater shared with Rainbow Point. A forest floor of pine and fir lies 1,000 feet (305 m) below. To the Southeast Navajo Mountain looms on the distant horizon over 80 miles (129 km) away near Page, Arizona. Called a laccolith, Navajo Mountain can be thought of as a volcano that never quite happened. As the Colorado Plateau was uplifted over the last 20 million years, a plume of molten rock moved upward from deep inside the Earth causing a swelling much like a large blister. Unlike a volcano, Navajo Mountain never blew its top and so the plume cooled slowly, creating the hard core of the mountain that still exists today. To the East The Paria Valley and the upper steps of the Grand Staircase exposed within it present most of the view. Across the valley, the Table Cliff plateau stands at 10,000 feet (3048 m) and is composed of the same Claron formation (or "Pink Cliffs") as Bryce Canyon's hoodoos. This difference in elevation is due to the presence of the Paunsaugunt fault--a major normal fault that runs northeast to southwest along the park's eastern boundary. Uplift of the Colorado Plateau over the last 20 million years is responsible for the nearly 2,000 feet (607 m) of elevation difference expressed by this fault. Below these Pink Cliffs, observe the shale-rich badlands of the Grey Cliffs slowly transform to the sometimes iron-rich sandstones of the upper White Cliffs. Kodachrome State Park is located in this transition zone. Almost the same distance to Navajo Mountain in the southeast, the Henry Mountains can be seen on days with good air quality, 86 miles (138 km) away beyond the eastern horizon. Like Navajo Mountain, these too are laccoliths--or plumes of molten rock that warped the rocks above them, but ne
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Birch Canyon 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:09 AM | 59° ENE | 8:54 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 120° ESE | 5:15 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Black Birch Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:26 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 8:40 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 72 | 80 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 81 | 70 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -7 | 0 | 16 | 21 | 29 | 44 | 41 | 25 | 10 | 0 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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 canyon
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Black Birch Canyon, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
CanyonScenic Viewpoint
Natural ArchScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Podunk Guard Station4.0 km (2.5 mi) · reservable
- Kings Creek13.9 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- North Campground (Ut)18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Sunset Campground (Ut)18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- North Campground18.3 km (11.4 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Birch Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Black Birch Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Birch Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Birch Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Birch Canyon?
How far is Black Birch Canyon from Panguitch?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.