Mount Ellen is a mountain peak in Garfield County, Utah at about 3,495 m (11,467 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 122 km (76 mi) WSW of Moab.
Mount Ellen is a mountain located in Garfield County, Utah, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Ellen (Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Ellen 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 241° (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) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 59° ENE | 8:50 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 120° ESE | 5:08 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Mount Ellen, 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 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:22 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:36 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:34 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 September as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (55%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 61 | 68 | 79 | 87 | 99 | 104 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 88 | 73 | 62 |
| Low °F | -4 | -3 | 10 | 20 | 26 | 36 | 52 | 49 | 32 | 15 | 9 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 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 mountain peak
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mount Ellen, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock Formation
Mountain Pass
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lonesome Beaver Campground3.2 km (2.0 mi)
- Mcmillan Spring Campground5.2 km (3.2 mi)
- Primitive Campsites At Cedar Mesa Campground26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Ellen?
What time is golden hour at Mount Ellen?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Ellen?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Ellen?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Ellen?
How far is Mount Ellen from Moab?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.