Juanita Arch is a natural arch in Mesa County, Colorado at about 1,591 m (5,220 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 57 km (35 mi) E of Moab.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Juanita Arch 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:44 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 120° ESE | 4:58 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Juanita Arch, 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 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 10:26 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 55 | 58 | 73 | 80 | 93 | 98 | 99 | 95 | 93 | 82 | 70 | 55 |
| Low °F | -14 | -10 | -4 | 15 | 20 | 31 | 43 | 44 | 26 | 6 | -1 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
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 natural arch
- 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.
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Buckeye Recreation Area (Co) 19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Leaf Cabin (Uncompahgre National Forest, Co)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Oak Cabin21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Dewey Bridge Campground27 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Juanita Arch?
What time is golden hour at Juanita Arch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Juanita Arch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Juanita Arch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Juanita Arch?
How far is Juanita Arch from Moab?
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.