Bridger Jack Butte is a rock formation in San Juan County, Utah. It is part of Bears Ears National Monument. The nearest town is Monticello, about 33 km (21 mi) away (Bridger Jack Butte lies NW of town).
Bridger Jack Butte is a sandstone butte located in Bears Ears National Monument, in San Juan County, Utah, United States. Set at the northern tip of Bridger Jack Mesa and above the confluence of Indian and Lavender Creeks, the summit rises to an elevation of 6,196 feet (1,889 meters), and towers over 700 feet (210 meters) above the surrounding terrain and floor of Lavender Canyon to its west. This landmark is situated four miles southeast of the Sixshooter Peaks, and is visible from State Route 211 between Newspaper Rock and the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. "Bridger Jack" was a Paiute medicine man.From the Wikipedia article “Bridger Jack Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bridger Jack Butte 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 241° (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) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 59° ENE | 8:45 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 120° ESE | 5:03 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
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 | 7:34 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Bridger Jack Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:59 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:31 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.93 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
- 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.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- 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 Bridger Jack Butte, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Natural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Superbowl Group Site6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Superbowl Campground6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Creek Pasture Campground8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Creek Pasture Group Site9.4 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Hamburger Rock Campground12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bridger Jack Butte?
What time is golden hour at Bridger Jack Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bridger Jack Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bridger Jack Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bridger Jack Butte?
How far is Bridger Jack Butte from Monticello?
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.