Factory Butte — a rock formation in Wayne County, Utah — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Richfield, about 84 km (53 mi) away (Factory Butte lies ESE of town).
Mountains in Utah are numerous and have varying elevations and prominences. Kings Peak, in the Uinta Mountains in Duchesne County, Utah, is the highest point in the state and has the greatest prominence. It has elevation 13,528 feet (4,123 m) and prominence 6,348 feet (1,935 m). It also has topographic isolation of 166.6 miles (268.1 km), highest amongst summits of Utah having at least 500 meters of prominence. For lists of the top 50 peaks in Utah by elevation, prominence, and topographic isolation, see List of mountain peaks of Utah. This "List of mountains in Utah" should include all of those (but does not yet) and more. To see locations of all mountains having coordinates in this article (primarily from just three counties in the state, so far) together in one map, click on "Map all coordinates using OSM" at the right side of this page. Partial lists of mountains in just a few...From the Wikipedia article “List of mountains in Utah”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Factory 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 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) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 59° ENE | 8:53 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 120° ESE | 5:08 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 28m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 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 Factory Butte, 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 | 5:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:41 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:59 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:32 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:29 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:35 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:36 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 ≈ 21.92 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 59 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 94 | 97 | 100 | 97 | 96 | 83 | 71 | 59 |
| Low °F | -11 | -7 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 30 | 46 | 43 | 25 | 13 | 0 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Factory Butte, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Primitive Campsites At Cathedral Campground17.5 km (10.9 mi)
- Elkhorn Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Fruita Campground26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Capitol Reef Group Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Factory Butte?
What time is golden hour at Factory Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Factory Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Factory Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Factory Butte?
How far is Factory Butte from Richfield?
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.