Located in San Juan County, Utah, Mount Peale is a mountain peak at about 3,877 m (12,720 ft) above sea level. It is part of Manti–La Sal National Forest. It sits roughly 32 km (20 mi) ESE of Moab.
Mount Peale is the highest point in the La Sal Mountains of San Juan County, in the southeastern part of Utah, United States. It is also the highest point in Utah outside the Uinta Mountains. It is located about 20 mi (32 km) southeast of Moab. The summit is the highest point in the Manti-La Sal National Forest and the Mount Peale Research Natural Area. Mount Peale was named for Albert Peale, a mineralogist on the Hayden Survey of 1875. The La Sal Mountains sit on the arid Colorado Plateau, near such famous desert landmarks as Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. However, due to their height, the La Sals are heavily forested and usually snow-capped until early summer (there is one snowfield on the north side that usually lasts year round). Mount Peale can be seen on a clear day from the Wasatch Plateau of central Utah, near Orangeville, over 115 miles (190 km) away.From the Wikipedia article “Mount Peale”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mount Peale 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) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 59° ENE | 8:45 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 120° ESE | 5:00 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 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 Mount Peale, 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 | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:28 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 ≈ 21.92 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 mountain peak
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Peale, closest first.
Mountain Pass
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
Natural Arch
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Upper Onion Creek Campground2.0 km (1.2 mi)
- Dewey Bridge Campground6.6 km (4.1 mi)
- Warner Lake10.0 km (6.2 mi) · reservable
- Buckeye Recreation Area (Co) 16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Ken'S Lake Group Sites17.4 km (10.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mount Peale?
What time is golden hour at Mount Peale?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mount Peale?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mount Peale?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mount Peale?
How far is Mount Peale 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.