Ninemile Canyon is a canyon in Carbon County, Utah. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) NNW of East Carbon City.
Ninemile Canyon (also Nine Mile Canyon) is a canyon, approximately 40 miles (60 km) long, located in Carbon and Duchesne counties in eastern Utah, United States. Promoted as "the world's longest art gallery", the canyon is known for its extensive rock art, most of it created by the Fremont culture and the Ute people. The rock art, shelters, and granaries left behind by the Fremont make Ninemile Canyon a destination for archaeologists and tourists alike.From the Wikipedia article “Ninemile Canyon (Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ninemile 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 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) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 58° ENE | 8:54 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 121° ESE | 5:01 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Ninemile Canyon, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:24 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: 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 ≈ 21.83 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 33% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 59 | 65 | 75 | 82 | 95 | 99 | 103 | 99 | 97 | 85 | 70 | 57 |
| Low °F | -20 | -8 | 3 | 17 | 22 | 30 | 46 | 41 | 26 | 13 | -2 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
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
- 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 flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Ninemile Canyon, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ninemile Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Ninemile Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ninemile Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ninemile Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ninemile Canyon?
How far is Ninemile Canyon from East Carbon 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.