Located in Grand County, Utah, Aztec Butte Trail is a rock formation. It lies in or next to Canyonlands National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Moab, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Aztec Butte Trail lies SW of town).
From the National Park Service
Indigenous people once stored foods and medicines in rock structures, called granaries, built into alcoves here. Despite the current name, they were not part of the Aztec civilization. Do not touch or enter the extremely fragile ancient structures. Roundtrip Distance : 1.4 mi (2.3 km) Time : 1.5 hrs
Elevation Change : 222 ft (68 m)
Difficulty : Moderate – Mesa Top
Hike Description : The trail follows a sandy wash, then splits. The eastern fork to your right ascends Aztec Butte for spectacular views. The western fork on the left climbs the smaller butte then drops below the rim to two granaries. Both trails require scrambling up slickrock and ledges. Entering, touching, or climbing on archeological sites is strictly prohibited. View structures from a distance to protect fragile walls.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aztec Butte Trail 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) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 120° ESE | 5:03 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Aztec Butte Trail, 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 | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:31 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 rock formation
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. 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 Aztec Butte Trail, closest first.
Rock Formation
Natural Arch
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock FormationScenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
Rock FormationScenic Viewpoint
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cowboy Camp Campground20 km (12 mi)
- 22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Horsethief Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Horsethief Group Sites22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Hatch Point Campground23 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aztec Butte Trail?
What time is golden hour at Aztec Butte Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aztec Butte Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aztec Butte Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aztec Butte Trail?
How far is Aztec Butte Trail from Moab?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.