Escalante Natural Bridge is a natural arch in Garfield County, Utah at about 1,660 m (5,446 ft) above sea level. It is part of Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. It sits roughly 95 km (59 mi) N of Page.
Wikidata describes it as: “natural arch in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Garfield County, Utah, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Escalante Natural Bridge 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 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) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 59° ENE | 8:52 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 120° ESE | 5:11 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Escalante Natural Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 5:15 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 2:38 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 12:38 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:34 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 80 | 87 | 98 | 103 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 90 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 15 | 21 | 26 | 37 | 54 | 50 | 32 | 16 | 13 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Escalante Natural Bridge, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Waterfall
WaterfallNatural Arch
State Park
Canyon
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Escalante Natural Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Escalante Natural Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Escalante Natural Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Escalante Natural Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Escalante Natural Bridge?
How far is Escalante Natural Bridge from Page?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.