Devils Garden — a rock formation in Grand County, Utah — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Arches National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Moab, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Devils Garden lies NNW of town).
Devils Garden is an area of Arches National Park, located near Moab, Utah, United States, that features a series of rock fins and arches formed by erosion. The Devils Garden Trail, including more primitive sections and spurs, meanders through the area for 7.2 mi (11.6 km). The trailhead leads directly to Landscape Arch after a 0.8 mi (1.3 km) outbound hike, while Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch can be seen on spur trails on the way to Landscape Arch. Several other arches, including Partition, Navajo, Double O, and Private Arch, as well as the Dark Angel monolith and Fin Canyon, are accessed via the primitive loop trail and its spurs. Wall Arch, before its collapse in 2008, was also located in Devils Garden just north of Landscape Arch. Black Arch is visible as a dark outline from the primitive trail and can be approached via an unmarked sidetrack. The trailhead for Devils Garden is...From the Wikipedia article “Devils Garden (Arches National Park)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Devils Garden 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 302° (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) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 120° ESE | 5:01 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 4:40 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Devils Garden, 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 22° 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 | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:53 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.3 | 12° | 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 ≈ 21.91 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
- 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.
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 Devils Garden, closest first.
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Natural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Devils Garden Campground3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- North Klondike Campground13.3 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Courthouse Rock Campground13.9 km (8.7 mi) · reservable
- Upper Big Bend Campground20 km (13 mi)
- 20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Devils Garden?
What time is golden hour at Devils Garden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Devils Garden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Devils Garden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Devils Garden?
How far is Devils Garden 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.