Big Indian is a rock formation in San Juan County, Utah. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) NNE of Kayenta.
Big Indian is a 6,120-foot-elevation (1,865-meter) summit in San Juan County, Utah, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Big Indian (Utah)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Indian the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 60° ENE | 8:44 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 119° ESE | 5:08 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 38m |
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 Big Indian, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:38 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:39 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:41 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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: 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.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 66 | 69 | 81 | 89 | 101 | 105 | 108 | 105 | 102 | 92 | 78 | 64 |
| Low °F | 3 | 1 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 40 | 54 | 53 | 35 | 16 | 16 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Big Indian, closest first.
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Rock FormationFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Indian?
What time is golden hour at Big Indian?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Indian?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Indian?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Indian?
How far is Big Indian from Kayenta?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.