Located in Washington County, Utah, The Great White Throne is a mountain peak at about 2,048 m (6,719 ft) above sea level. It lies in or next to Zion National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 29 km (18 mi) N of Hildale.
The Great White Throne is a monolith, predominantly composed of white Navajo Sandstone in Zion National Park in Washington County in southwestern Utah, United States. The north-west "main" face rises 2,350 feet (720 m) from the floor of Zion Canyon near Angels Landing. It is often used as a symbol of Zion National Park. The Great White Throne can be seen from many locations along the scenic drive running through Zion Canyon.From the Wikipedia article “Great White Throne (mountain)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At The Great White Throne the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:12 AM | 59° ENE | 8:56 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 119° ESE | 5:18 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 37m |
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 The Great White Throne, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:48 PM – 4:18 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:52 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.8 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 72 | 80 | 90 | 97 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 81 | 70 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -7 | 0 | 16 | 21 | 29 | 44 | 41 | 25 | 10 | 0 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of The Great White Throne, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Canyon
Canyon
Rock Formation
Rock Formation
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- South Campground (Ut)7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Watchman Campground8.0 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Lava Point Campground15.9 km (9.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph The Great White Throne?
What time is golden hour at The Great White Throne?
Where does the sun rise and set at The Great White Throne?
Can you see the Milky Way from The Great White Throne?
Do you need a permit to photograph at The Great White Throne?
How far is The Great White Throne from Hildale?
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.