Elephant Arch — a natural arch in Washington County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. The nearest town is Washington, about 5.4 km (3.4 mi) away (Elephant Arch lies NNE of town).
Elephant Arch is a small natural sandstone arch in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and Red Cliffs Desert Reserve in northern Washington, Utah, United States. The arch, which resembles the trunk and eye of an elephant, is part way up a hillside at the end of a dirt hiking trail. The arch has not yet been officially named by the United States Geological Survey.From the Wikipedia article “Elephant Arch”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Elephant Arch the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:15 AM | 59° ENE | 8:58 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 119° ESE | 5:21 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Elephant Arch, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 6:08 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:50 PM – 4:20 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 12:54 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 10:52 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.02 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 80 | 86 | 96 | 103 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 87 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 26 | 37 | 52 | 48 | 32 | 16 | 10 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 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 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 Elephant Arch, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
State Park
State Park
State Park
Ghost Town
Canyon
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Cliffs Campground9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Recreation Area 22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Guard Station22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Baker Dam Campground 26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Elephant Arch?
What time is golden hour at Elephant Arch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Elephant Arch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Elephant Arch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Elephant Arch?
How far is Elephant Arch from Washington?
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.