Soldier Hollow — a canyon in Wasatch County, Utah — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Wasatch Mountain State Park. The nearest town is Midway, about 4.7 km (2.9 mi) away (Soldier Hollow lies SSW of town).
Soldier Hollow is a small hollow in the Wasatch Range that is located within the Wasatch Mountain State Park in northwestern Wasatch County, Utah, United States. The hollow was formerly a Native American encampment and was later used by a group of Army surveyors in the 1850s. While the hollow is fairly small, it is most notable for the Soldier Hollow winter sports venue that is located at the mouth of the hollow (and that was named after the hollow). The venue was created for the 2002 Winter Olympics and hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, and the cross country skiing portion of the Nordic combined events and is still in use.From the Wikipedia article “Soldier Hollow (Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Soldier Hollow 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) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 58° ENE | 9:01 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 121° ESE | 5:03 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Soldier Hollow, 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 5 (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 | 5:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:54 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:55 PM – 2:25 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:18 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.25 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
- 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.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Soldier Hollow, closest first.
State Park
Hot Spring
Covered Bridge
State Park
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
Mountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mt. Timpanogos11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Theater In The Pines11.7 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Altamont12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Timpooneke12.3 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Granite Flat (Utah) 12.8 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Soldier Hollow?
What time is golden hour at Soldier Hollow?
Where does the sun rise and set at Soldier Hollow?
Can you see the Milky Way from Soldier Hollow?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Soldier Hollow?
How far is Soldier Hollow from Midway?
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.