Box Elder Canyon is a canyon in Box Elder County, Utah. The nearest town is Brigham City, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Box Elder Canyon lies SE of town).
Box Elder Canyon is a canyon located within the western slopes of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. Box Elder Canyon and Wellsville Canyon together provide the routes of U.S. Route 89 / U.S. Route 91 (US 89 / US 91) across the Wellsville Mountains. Both of these canyons are sometimes locally referred to as Sardine Canyon, although the actual Sardine Canyon is used by an old alignment of the highway along the eastern slope of the Wellsville Mountains.From the Wikipedia article “Box Elder Canyon (Box Elder County, Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Box Elder Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 57° ENE | 9:06 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 121° ESE | 5:02 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Elder Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:56 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:04 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.31 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 53 | 53 | 69 | 75 | 86 | 92 | 97 | 93 | 89 | 80 | 65 | 50 |
| Low °F | -19 | -23 | -4 | 4 | 18 | 25 | 37 | 35 | 22 | 1 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Box Elder Canyon, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain Peak
Dark Sky Place
National Forest
State Park
Hot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Box Elder Campground4.3 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Shenoah Picnic Area29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Pioneer Campground (Ut)29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Port Ramp Marina29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Box Elder Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Box Elder Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Box Elder Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Box Elder Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Box Elder Canyon?
How far is Box Elder Canyon from Brigham City?
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.