Hole in the Rock — a natural arch in Summit County, Utah at about 2,735 m (8,973 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mountain View, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Hole in the Rock lies SSE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hole in the Rock the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 58° ENE | 8:57 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 121° ESE | 4:56 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Hole in the Rock, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | 5:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:50 AM – 6:00 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:33 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 38% average cloud cover) and April 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 | 45 | 51 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 88 | 93 | 90 | 85 | 76 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -35 | -20 | -2 | 2 | 20 | 32 | 28 | 16 | -2 | -15 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 |
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.
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- 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 Hole in the Rock, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hoop Lake Trailhead Campground3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Hoop Lake Campground3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Bridger Lake Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Marsh Lake Campground20 km (12 mi) · reservable
- Deadhorse Trailhead Campground20 km (12 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hole in the Rock?
What time is golden hour at Hole in the Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hole in the Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hole in the Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hole in the Rock?
How far is Hole in the Rock from Mountain View?
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.