Located in Duchesne County, Utah, Ashley National Forest is a national forest. It sits roughly 19.8 km (12.3 mi) NNE of Duchesne.
Ashley National Forest is a national forest located in northeastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming in the United States. Within the Forest's bounds are 1,382,346 acres (5,594 km2) (with 1,287,909 acres (5,212 km2) in Utah and 96,223 acres (389 km2) in Wyoming) of vast forests, lakes, and mountains, with elevations ranging from 6,000 to 13,500 feet (1,800 to 4,100 m). The forest covers portions of Daggett, Duchesne, Summit, Uintah, and Utah counties in Utah and Sweetwater County in Wyoming. Some of the most popular landmarks located in the forest include the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and the Uinta Mountains, which contains the highest mountain peak in Utah (Kings Peak). The forest also includes 276,175 acres (1,117.64 km2), or about 60.5%, of the High Uintas Wilderness (with the rest being in the Wasatch–Cache National Forest). The headquarters for the Ashley National...From the Wikipedia article “Ashley National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ashley National Forest 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (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) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 58° ENE | 8:55 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 121° ESE | 4:59 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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
Forests suit soft light — overcast days reduce contrast under the canopy, and morning fog adds depth.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Ashley National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:49 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:42 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:13 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: 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. 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 April as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 45 | 51 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 88 | 93 | 90 | 85 | 76 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -35 | -20 | -2 | 2 | 20 | 32 | 28 | 16 | -2 | -15 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 |
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 national forest
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Look for fire lookouts and high roads for views over the canopy.
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Autumn color and spring flowers draw photographers; winter brings snow-covered forests in the North and West.
Suggested gear: Polarizer, Tripod, Offline maps, Insect repellent. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Recreational drones are generally allowed in national forests outside designated wilderness, subject to FAA rules and temporary flight restrictions — wildfire TFRs are common in summer.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Ashley National Forest, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Yellowstone Group Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Moon Lake Group Campground30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ashley National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Ashley National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ashley National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ashley National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ashley National Forest?
How far is Ashley National Forest from Duchesne?
Sources
Location data: 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.