Kings Canyon is a canyon in Millard County, Utah. It sits roughly 132 km (82 mi) WNW of Richfield.
Kings Canyon is a canyon within the Confusion Range in Millard County, Utah, United States. US Highway 6/US Highway 50 runs through the windy canyon. The area in and around the canyon is unpopulated, and is only used by humans for transportation and some sheep herding. The strongly bedded rocks that line the canyon are chiefly Silurian to Devonian carbonate rocks, though pink Tertiary ignimbrites can also be seen sporadically in places. A side spur of the canyon, called Cat Canyon, is the location of the most famous tourist attraction in the canyon, Elephant Rock which is in the shape of an elephant carrying a pack or load.From the Wikipedia article “Kings Canyon (Millard County, Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kings 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:09 AM | 59° ENE | 9:04 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 120° ESE | 5:16 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Kings Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:41 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:50 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 5:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:35 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.2 | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 85 | 94 | 101 | 104 | 102 | 98 | 86 | 73 | 62 |
| Low °F | -5 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 23 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 30 | 16 | 6 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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 Kings Canyon, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kings Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Kings Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kings Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kings Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kings Canyon?
How far is Kings Canyon from Richfield?
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.