Petit Jean Natural Bridge is a natural arch in Conway County, Arkansas at about 176 m (577 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Perryville, about 16.6 km (10.3 mi) away (Petit Jean Natural Bridge lies NW of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Petit Jean Natural Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 60° ENE | 8:30 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 119° ESE | 5:04 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Petit Jean Natural Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:04 AM – 5:04 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 4:28 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:45 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:36 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.58 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 72 | 77 | 83 | 90 | 95 | 107 | 108 | 114 | 102 | 93 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 5 | -2 | 9 | 22 | 35 | 53 | 56 | 52 | 42 | 28 | 17 | 7 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
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 natural arch
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Frame distant features through the opening of the arch for a natural window.
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Petit Jean Natural Bridge, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cherokee (Arkansas River)15.0 km (9.3 mi) · reservable
- River Road25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Quarry Cove25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Old Post Road26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Carden Point27 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Petit Jean Natural Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Petit Jean Natural Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Petit Jean Natural Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Petit Jean Natural Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Petit Jean Natural Bridge?
How far is Petit Jean Natural Bridge from Perryville?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.