Westwater Canyon — a canyon in Grand County, Utah — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Loma, about 44 km (27 mi) away (Westwater Canyon lies SW of town).
Westwater Canyon is a canyon located on the Colorado River in Eastern Utah between the Utah/Colorado state line and Cisco, Utah. The inner gorge of the canyon is made up of black Precambrian rock and contains class III and IV rapids which are sought after by whitewater enthusiasts. The most notable rapid, called "Skull", is the most significant. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees a permitting system for whitewater travelers for this section of the Colorado River, and boaters must follow special rules and regulations. Many boaters pack camping equipment in on rafts and make the 17-mile (27 km) trip from Westwater ranger station to Cisco landing over 1–2 days. Westwater Canyon runs through a wilderness study area and has been proposed for designation as a wild and scenic river along with Ruby Canyon just upstream. The Westwater Ranger Station put-in to the Rose Ranch...From the Wikipedia article “Westwater Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Westwater 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 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 120° ESE | 4:59 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Westwater 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 | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:18 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 ≈ 21.89 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 June as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 62 | 77 | 85 | 98 | 102 | 104 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 73 | 59 |
| Low °F | -7 | -8 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 34 | 48 | 47 | 32 | 7 | 8 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 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
- 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 Westwater Canyon, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Westwater Group Site (Ranger Station)16.8 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Westwater Campground (Ranger Station)16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Dewey Bridge Group Sites19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Knowles Overlook Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Hittle Bottom Group Site25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Westwater Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Westwater Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Westwater Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Westwater Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Westwater Canyon?
How far is Westwater Canyon from Loma?
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.