Eye of the Eagle is a natural arch in Sweetwater County, Wyoming at about 2,085 m (6,841 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 84 km (52 mi) SE of Lander.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eye of the Eagle the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 57° ENE | 8:53 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 122° ESE | 4:44 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 05m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Eye of the Eagle, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:52 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:49 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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. Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 53 | 55 | 66 | 76 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 94 | 90 | 77 | 63 | 48 |
| Low °F | -19 | -19 | -7 | -1 | 15 | 26 | 37 | 35 | 19 | -3 | -10 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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.
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eye of the Eagle?
What time is golden hour at Eye of the Eagle?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eye of the Eagle?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eye of the Eagle?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eye of the Eagle?
How far is Eye of the Eagle from Lander?
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.