Gunnison Butte is a rock formation in Emery County, Utah. The nearest town is East Carbon City, about 55 km (34 mi) away (Gunnison Butte lies SSE of town).
Gunnison Butte is a 5,247-foot (1,599 m) summit in Emery County, Utah, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Gunnison Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gunnison 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 59° ENE | 8:51 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 120° ESE | 5:02 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Gunnison Butte, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 | 5:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:56 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:26 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.2 | 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. Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 65 | 75 | 82 | 95 | 99 | 103 | 99 | 97 | 85 | 70 | 57 |
| Low °F | -20 | -8 | 3 | 17 | 22 | 30 | 46 | 41 | 26 | 13 | -2 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 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
- 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.
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- 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 Gunnison Butte, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gunnison Butte?
What time is golden hour at Gunnison Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gunnison Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gunnison Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gunnison Butte?
How far is Gunnison Butte from East Carbon City?
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.