Located in Sanpete County, Utah, Manti–La Sal National Forest is a national forest. It sits roughly 16.3 km (10.1 mi) ESE of Ephraim.
The Manti–La Sal National Forest covers more than 1.2 million acres (4,900 km2) and is located in the central and southeastern parts of the U.S. state of Utah and the extreme western part of Colorado. The forest is headquartered in Price, with ranger district offices in Price, Ferron, Ephraim, Moab and Monticello. The maximum elevation is Mount Peale in the La Sal Mountains, reaching 12,721 feet (3,877 m) above sea level. The La Sal Mountains are the second highest mountain range in Utah after the Uintas. Parts of the forest are included in the Bears Ears National Monument.From the Wikipedia article “Manti–La Sal National Forest”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Manti–La Sal National Forest the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 58° ENE | 8:56 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 120° ESE | 5:06 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Manti–La Sal National Forest, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 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 | 5:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:03 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:55 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.2 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 32% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 50 | 57 | 68 | 74 | 85 | 90 | 94 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 66 | 51 |
| Low °F | -27 | -21 | -8 | 1 | 15 | 22 | 36 | 33 | 19 | 2 | -17 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Manti–La Sal National Forest, closest first.
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
State ParkState Park
CanyonScenic Viewpoint
CaveScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Seely Creek Guard Station3.2 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Lake Hill7.9 km (4.9 mi) · reservable
- Manti Community10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Orange Olsen11.2 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Joes Valley Reservoir11.5 km (7.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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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.