Bechan Cave — a cave in San Juan County, Utah — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 73 km (45 mi) NE of Page.
Bechan Cave is a single-room sandstone rock shelter located at an elevation of 1,280 metres (4,200 ft) along Bowns Canyon Creek, a tributary of the Glen Canyon segment of the Colorado River, in Kane County in southeastern Utah in the United States. The cave is roughly 31 metres (100 ft) wide, 9 metres (30 ft) high and 52 metres (170 ft) deep. It has a single entrance that faces southwest and is well-lit during the daytime.From the Wikipedia article “Bechan Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bechan Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:10 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Bechan Cave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 12:35 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 66 | 69 | 81 | 89 | 101 | 105 | 108 | 105 | 102 | 92 | 78 | 64 |
| Low °F | 3 | 1 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 40 | 54 | 53 | 35 | 16 | 16 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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 cave
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bechan Cave, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Rock Formation
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bechan Cave?
What time is golden hour at Bechan Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bechan Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bechan Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bechan Cave?
How far is Bechan Cave from Page?
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.