Located in Garfield County, Utah, Dixie National Forest is a national forest. The nearest town is Richfield, about 93 km (58 mi) away (Dixie National Forest lies SSE of town).
Dixie National Forest is a United States national forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar City. It occupies almost two million acres (8,000 km2) and stretches for about 170 miles (270 km) across southern Utah. The largest national forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River. In descending order of forestland area it is located in parts of Garfield, Washington, Iron, Kane, Wayne, and Piute counties. The majority (over 55%) of forest acreage lies in Garfield County. Elevations vary from 2,800 feet (850 m) above sea level near St. George, Utah to 11,322 feet (3,451 m) at Blue Bell Knoll on Boulder Mountain. The southern rim of the Great Basin, near the Colorado River, provides spectacular scenery. Colorado River canyons are made up of multi-colored cliffs and steep-walled gorges.From the Wikipedia article “Dixie National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dixie National Forest 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 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 59° ENE | 8:53 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 120° ESE | 5:11 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 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
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 | 7:42 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Dixie National Forest, 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 | 5:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 6:02 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:26 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 10:36 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:38 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 35% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 59 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 94 | 97 | 100 | 97 | 96 | 83 | 71 | 59 |
| Low °F | -11 | -7 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 30 | 46 | 43 | 25 | 13 | 0 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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
- Fall color peaks vary by elevation; follow it downhill over several weeks.
- Dispersed camping is often allowed, which makes sunrise and night shoots easier — check local rules.
- Forest roads can close in winter or after storms; download offline maps.
- Fire restrictions may limit campfires and stoves in summer.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Dixie National Forest, closest first.
Wilderness Area
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Waterfall
Natural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cowpuncher Guard Station3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Posey Lake Campground9.9 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Barker Recreation Area19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Aquarius Ranger Station20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Oak Creek Rec Site (Boulder, Ut)27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dixie National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Dixie National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dixie National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dixie National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dixie National Forest?
How far is Dixie National Forest from Richfield?
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.