Payson is a city of about 19,548 people in Utah County, Utah, at 1,418 m (4,652 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:43 AM and sets at 6:41 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:04 PM – 6:58 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:48 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 21m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Payson
At Payson 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 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
Best photo spots near Payson
76 photo locations lie within 80 km of Payson. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Payson is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bottleneck Peak and Moon, about 141 km (88 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottleneck Peak and Moon | Mountain Peak | 141 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 141 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Swaseys Arch | Natural Arch | 147 km (91 mi) | 1 |
| Woodside | Ghost Town | 147 km (91 mi) | 1 |
| Obscure Arch | Natural Arch | 148 km (92 mi) | 1 |
| Dutchman Arch | Natural Arch | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Eagle Canyon Arch | Natural Arch | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Chandler Falls | Waterfall | 160 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| March | 4:44 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.3 | 18° |
| April | 2:42 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.3 | 21° |
| May | 12:46 AM – 4:16 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| June | 11:01 PM – 3:51 AM | 4.8 | 21° |
| July | 10:53 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| August | 10:07 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.3 | 21° |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.2 | 18° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.2 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
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.