Fish Lake National Forest is a national forest in Sevier County, Utah. It sits roughly 800 m SSW of Richfield.
Fish Lake National Forest was established as the Fish Lake Forest Reserve by the United States General Land Office in Utah on February 10, 1899 with 67,840 acres (274.5 km2). After the transfer of federal forests to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905, it became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 Glenwood National Forest was added and the name was changed to Fishlake National Forest.From the Wikipedia article “Fish Lake National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fish Lake 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 302° (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) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 59° ENE | 8:57 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 120° ESE | 5:11 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Fish Lake National Forest, 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 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:35 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:44 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 4:03 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:46 PM – 2:36 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 10:28 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:39 PM | 0.3 | 12° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.13 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 64 | 76 | 81 | 93 | 96 | 102 | 97 | 93 | 82 | 72 | 57 |
| Low °F | -10 | -5 | 4 | 17 | 20 | 29 | 44 | 42 | 23 | 8 | 1 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.3 |
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 Fish Lake National Forest, closest first.
National Forest
Hot Spring
Hot Spring
Canyon
National Forest
State Park
State Park
CanyonHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fish Lake National Forest?
What time is golden hour at Fish Lake National Forest?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fish Lake National Forest?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fish Lake National Forest?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fish Lake National Forest?
How far is Fish Lake 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.