Candlestick Tower — a rock formation in Grand County, Utah — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Canyonlands National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 40 km (25 mi) WSW of Moab.
Candlestick Tower is a 450-foot-tall (140 m) sandstone butte located in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, in San Juan County, Utah. Its descriptive name comes from its resemblance to a candlestick. Candlestick Tower is composed of Wingate Sandstone, which is the remains of wind-borne sand dunes deposited approximately 200 million years ago in the Late Triassic. The nearest higher neighbor is Shaft Benchmark, 2 mi (3.2 km) to the east; Upheaval Dome is located 3 mi (4.8 km) to the north and the Green River Overlook is situated 2.5 mi (4.0 km) to the east. Access to the tower is via the four-wheel-drive White Rim Road. Candlestick is situated north of Soda Springs Basin and south of Holeman Spring Basin, and the top of this geological formation rises 1,400 feet above the White Rim Road in approximately one mile. Precipitation runoff from Candlestick Tower...From the Wikipedia article “Candlestick Tower”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Candlestick Tower 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 | 8:48 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 | 5:22 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 | 7:54 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 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 | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 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 Candlestick Tower, 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
- 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.
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 Candlestick Tower, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock FormationRock Formation
Rock FormationScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Natural Arch
Canyon
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cowboy Camp Campground23 km (15 mi)
- 25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Horsethief Campground25 km (15 mi)
- Horsethief Group Sites25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Hatch Point Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Candlestick Tower?
What time is golden hour at Candlestick Tower?
Where does the sun rise and set at Candlestick Tower?
Can you see the Milky Way from Candlestick Tower?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Candlestick Tower?
How far is Candlestick Tower from Moab?
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.