Maple Canyon — a canyon in Sanpete County, Utah — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Moroni, about 6.7 km (4.2 mi) away (Maple Canyon lies WNW of town).
Maple Canyon is a canyon in the northeastern San Pitch Mountains in northern Sanpete County, Utah, United States Nearly all of the canyon, except the western end, is located within the Uinta National Forest. The mouth of the canyon is in the northwestern Sanpete Valley, south of Fountain Green and just northwest of the unincorporated community of Freedom, at an elevation of 6,017 feet (1,834 m). The canyon offers rock climbing, camping, hiking and general recreation. Many climbing enthusiasts visit this area and have found excellent sport climbing due to the nature of the cobblestone rock.From the Wikipedia article “Maple Canyon (San Pitch Mountains)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Maple Canyon the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 58° ENE | 8:58 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 120° ESE | 5:07 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Maple 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:44 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:29 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 57 | 68 | 74 | 85 | 90 | 94 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 66 | 51 |
| Low °F | -27 | -21 | -8 | 1 | 15 | 22 | 36 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -17 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
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
- 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 Maple Canyon, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Maple Canyon2.6 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Ponderosa Uinta24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Bear Canyon26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Lake Hill29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Maple Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Maple Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Maple Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Maple Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Maple Canyon?
How far is Maple Canyon from Moroni?
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.