Dead Horse Point State Park — a dark sky place in Grand County, Utah — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Moab, about 17.6 km (10.9 mi) away (Dead Horse Point State Park lies WSW of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Dead Horse Point State Park is a state park in San Juan County, Utah in the United States, featuring a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The park opened to the public in 1959 and covers 5,362 acres (2,170 ha) of high desert at an elevation of 5,900 feet (1,800 m).From the Wikipedia article “Dead Horse Point State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dead Horse Point State Park 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 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 120° ESE | 5:02 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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
Certified dark sky places offer protected night skies — plan around the new moon and the Milky Way core season.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Dead Horse Point State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | 5:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:53 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:30 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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.
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 dark sky place
- Use the Milky Way table to find months and hours when the core is above the horizon.
- Use red light only and keep it pointed down to protect others' night vision.
- Set focus on a bright star with live-view magnification, then tape the focus ring.
- Use the NPF rule below to choose the longest exposure before stars trail.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Milky Way core season runs roughly March to October; winter offers long nights and bright winter constellations.
Suggested gear: Fast wide lens (f/1.4–f/2.8), Sturdy tripod, Red headlamp, Intervalometer. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Dead Horse Point State Park, closest first.
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural ArchScenic Viewpoint
Mountain PassScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cowboy Camp Campground8.1 km (5.0 mi)
- 11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Horsethief Campground11.2 km (7.0 mi)
- Horsethief Group Sites11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Gold Bar Group Sites11.7 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dead Horse Point State Park?
What time is golden hour at Dead Horse Point State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dead Horse Point State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dead Horse Point State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dead Horse Point State Park?
How far is Dead Horse Point State Park from Moab?
Sources
Location data: DarkSky International (via 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.