Located in San Juan County, Utah, Cathedral in the Desert is a rock formation. It sits roughly 63 km (39 mi) NE of Page.
The Cathedral in the Desert is a natural formation, sometimes referred to as an amphitheater, buried under Lake Powell in Glen Canyon. Due to the Southwestern North American megadrought, the cathedral has been visible in 2005 and 2019. Lake Powell must drop to 3,605 feet for the cathedral floor to be visible. The Cathedral is located at the head of Clear Water Canyon off the Escalante. Most are familiar with the feature from a Phil Hyde photo in 1964 taken just before Lake Powell began to fill, and many are seeing it for the first time now. OARS, the first National Park Service-authorized rafting outfitter that travels the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon has a dory named in the cathedral's honor.From the Wikipedia article “Cathedral in the Desert”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cathedral in the Desert the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:04 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 119° ESE | 5:10 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 35m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Cathedral in the Desert, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. 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 | 5:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:30 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:40 PM – 4:10 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:44 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 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.3 | 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 Cathedral in the Desert, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Natural ArchNatural Arch
CaveNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cathedral in the Desert?
What time is golden hour at Cathedral in the Desert?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cathedral in the Desert?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cathedral in the Desert?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cathedral in the Desert?
How far is Cathedral in the Desert 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.