Yellowstone Natural Bridge — a natural arch in Teton County, Wyoming at about 2,424 m (7,953 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Yellowstone National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 54 km (33 mi) ESE of West Yellowstone.
Yellowstone Natural Bridge is a natural arch in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. The arch is at an elevation of 7,983 feet (2,433 m) and can be reached by hiking a little more than a mile (approximately 1.8 km) from the Bridge Bay marina parking lot. The arch is 51 feet (16 m) tall and was created as water eroded through the surrounding rhyolite rock.From the Wikipedia article “Yellowstone Natural Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Yellowstone Natural Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 55° NE | 9:11 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 123° ESE | 4:45 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Yellowstone Natural Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:20 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 3:08 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:23 PM – 1:43 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 33 | 32 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 72 | 53 | 33 |
| Low °F | -32 | -34 | -21 | -10 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 28 | 18 | -9 | -23 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Yellowstone Natural Bridge, closest first.
Volcano
National Forest
Lake
Hot Spring
Hot SpringHot Spring
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Yellowstone Natural Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Yellowstone Natural Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Yellowstone Natural Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Yellowstone Natural Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Yellowstone Natural Bridge?
How far is Yellowstone Natural Bridge from West Yellowstone?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.