Looking Glass Rock — a natural arch in San Juan County, Utah at about 1,901 m (6,237 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Moab, about 36 km (22 mi) away (Looking Glass Rock lies SSE of town).
Wikidata describes it as: “natural arch in San Juan County, Utah, United States”.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Looking Glass Rock 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 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) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 59° ENE | 8:45 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 120° ESE | 5:01 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Looking Glass Rock, 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:32 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:29 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 ≈ 21.93 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 December as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 59 | 62 | 77 | 85 | 98 | 102 | 104 | 100 | 98 | 87 | 73 | 59 |
| Low °F | -7 | -8 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 34 | 48 | 47 | 32 | 7 | 8 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
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 Looking Glass Rock, closest first.
Natural Arch
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Rock Formation
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
Scenic ViewpointNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Windwhistle Group Site12.0 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Windwhistle Campground12.1 km (7.5 mi)
- Hatch Point Campground22 km (13 mi)
- Ken'S Lake Group Sites22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Ken'S Lake Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Looking Glass Rock?
What time is golden hour at Looking Glass Rock?
Where does the sun rise and set at Looking Glass Rock?
Can you see the Milky Way from Looking Glass Rock?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Looking Glass Rock?
How far is Looking Glass Rock from Moab?
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.