Boundary Butte is a rock formation in Kane County, Utah. The nearest town is Page, about 17.8 km (11.1 mi) away (Boundary Butte lies ENE of town).
Boundary Butte is a 4,934-foot (1,504 meter) elevation sandstone summit located south of Lake Powell, in extreme southwestern San Juan County, Utah, United States, just north of the Arizona border. It is situated on Navajo Nation land, 11.5 miles (18.5 km) northeast of the town of Page, and towers 1,200 feet above the lake as a landmark of the area. It lies on the Utah-Arizona border, hence its name.From the Wikipedia article “Boundary Butte (Rainbow Plateau)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Boundary Butte 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) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:07 AM | 60° ENE | 8:49 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 119° ESE | 5:13 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 | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 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 Boundary Butte, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:30 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:39 PM – 4:09 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:43 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:44 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:42 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:46 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 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 February as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 80 | 87 | 98 | 103 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 90 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 15 | 21 | 26 | 37 | 54 | 50 | 32 | 16 | 13 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Boundary Butte, closest first.
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Natural Arch
Rock FormationNatural Arch
Rock Formation
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Canyon
Rock FormationCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Antelope Point Rv Park13.8 km (8.6 mi)
- Wahweap Campground & Rv Park18.9 km (11.7 mi)
- Beehives Primitive Campground19.9 km (12.4 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Boundary Butte?
What time is golden hour at Boundary Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Boundary Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Boundary Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Boundary Butte?
How far is Boundary Butte from Page?
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.