Located in Uintah County, Utah, Steinaker State Park is a dark sky place. The nearest town is Maeser, about 6.6 km (4.1 mi) away (Steinaker State Park lies NE of town). It is certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International.
Steinaker State Park is a state park and reservoir in Uintah County, Utah, United States, located 7 miles (11 km) north of Vernal. Steinaker State Park opened to the public in 1964. It lies at an elevation of 5,500 feet (1,700 m) in northeastern Utah, south of the Uinta Mountains. The climate is arid with hot summers and cold winters. Plant life at the park includes juniper, cacti, and sagebrush. Wildlife includes badgers, bobcats, coyotes, deer, and rabbits. Birds include golden eagles, hawks, bluebirds, vultures, owls, and osprey. Steinaker State Park is named for John Steinaker, a member of a pioneer family of the region.From the Wikipedia article “Steinaker State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Steinaker State Park 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) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 58° ENE | 8:53 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 121° ESE | 4:55 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 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 Steinaker State Park, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 3:36 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:10 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.08 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 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 54 | 61 | 73 | 81 | 94 | 97 | 101 | 98 | 95 | 81 | 67 | 53 |
| Low °F | -15 | -11 | 1 | 14 | 20 | 31 | 44 | 39 | 28 | 2 | -1 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 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 dark sky place
- 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.
- Many parks host star parties and night programs during summer.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Steinaker State Park, closest first.
State Park
Natural Arch
State Park
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
CanyonScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Colton Guard Station16.7 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Iron Springs Group Ashley21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Kaler Hollow Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Split Mountain Group Campground25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Grizzly Ridge Yurt25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Steinaker State Park?
What time is golden hour at Steinaker State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Steinaker State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Steinaker State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Steinaker State Park?
How far is Steinaker State Park from Maeser?
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.