Box Canyon Trail — a canyon in Uintah County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Dinosaur National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) E of Naples.
From the National Park Service
Casting a looing shadow over the Josie Morris cabin, Box Canyon stands as a cooling refuge. The trail is fairly level and hikers will have stunning views on all sides of the craggy Weber sandstone from Split Mountain. This trail is excellent for families with children, even during the heat of the day.
Length: ½ mile round trip. Not a loop.
Level of Difficulty: Easy. The trail is gravel and even terrain for most of the hike.
Trailhead Location: End of the Cub Creek Road (Tour of Tilted Rocks Auto Tour) at Josie's Cabin, 10 miles east of the Quarry Visitor Center.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Box Canyon Trail the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 58° ENE | 8:51 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 121° ESE | 4:54 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Box Canyon Trail, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:55 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:46 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 54 | 61 | 73 | 81 | 94 | 97 | 101 | 98 | 95 | 81 | 67 | 53 |
| Low °F | -15 | -11 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 31 | 44 | 39 | 28 | 2 | -1 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
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
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Box Canyon Trail, closest first.
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
Dark Sky PlaceScenic ViewpointNatural Arch
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Green River Campground5.9 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Split Mountain Group Campground6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Rainbow Park Campground7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Rainbow Park Campground7.8 km (4.8 mi)
- Echo Park Campground18.8 km (11.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Box Canyon Trail?
What time is golden hour at Box Canyon Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at Box Canyon Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from Box Canyon Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Box Canyon Trail?
How far is Box Canyon Trail from Naples?
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.