Little Cottonwood Canyon is a canyon in Salt Lake County, Utah. It is part of Wasatch–Cache National Forest. It sits roughly 8.4 km (5.2 mi) E of Granite.
Little Cottonwood Canyon lies within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest along the eastern side of the Salt Lake Valley, roughly 15 miles (24 km) from Salt Lake City, Utah. The canyon is part of Granite, a CDP and "Community Council" designated by Salt Lake County. The canyon is a glacial trough (U-shaped canyon), carved by an alpine glacier during the last ice age, 15,000 to 25,000 years ago. A number of rare and endemic plant species are found in the canyon's Albion Basin. Introduced Mountain goats inhabit the surrounding mountains. The Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was built of blocks of quartz monzonite, granite, and granodiorite which Latter Day Saint pioneers quarried from the Little Cottonwood Stock near the mouth of the canyon. State Route 210 is the primary access road to the canyon, running from the canyon mouth up to Alta. Little...From the Wikipedia article “Little Cottonwood Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little Cottonwood Canyon 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 303° (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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 58° ENE | 9:02 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 121° ESE | 5:04 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Little Cottonwood Canyon, 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 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:05 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:19 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: 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 ≈ 19.48 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 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 50 | 56 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 90 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 79 | 65 | 49 |
| Low °F | -23 | -28 | -14 | -6 | 8 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 1 | -17 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Little Cottonwood Canyon, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tanners Flat751 m · reservable
- Storm Mountain Day Use Area6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Birches Picnic Area7.2 km (4.4 mi) · reservable
- Ledgemere Picnic Area7.5 km (4.6 mi) · reservable
- Dogwood Day Use7.8 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Cottonwood Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Little Cottonwood Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little Cottonwood Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little Cottonwood Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little Cottonwood Canyon?
How far is Little Cottonwood Canyon from Granite?
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.