Hurricane Mesa — a rock formation in Washington County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Zion National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is LaVerkin, about 5.0 km (3.1 mi) away (Hurricane Mesa lies NE of town).
Hurricane Mesa (37°14′25″N 113°12′41″W) is a Utah landform near Hurricane, Utah, used for Cold War tests of rocket ejection seats for supersonic aircraft at the Hurricane Supersonic Research Site. The mesa is "flat bedrock of faultless Shinarump conglomerate" 1,500 ft (460 m) above the Virgin River valley, which allowed clearance for assessment of a longer flight trajectory up from the mesa and over the cliff for the test object (e.g., the anthropoid simulator—dummy—named "Hurricane Sam"). Currently the facility is still used to test military ejection seats for the US and Foreign Govt's.From the Wikipedia article “Hurricane Mesa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hurricane Mesa 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) | 7:37 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:14 AM | 59° ENE | 8:57 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 119° ESE | 5:20 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 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 Hurricane Mesa, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:49 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:53 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:51 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 8:44 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.88 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 80 | 86 | 96 | 103 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 87 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 26 | 37 | 52 | 48 | 32 | 16 | 10 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
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 Hurricane Mesa, closest first.
Hot Spring
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
Ghost Town
State Park
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Wilderness Area
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Cliffs Campground15.3 km (9.5 mi) · reservable
- Watchman Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- South Campground (Ut)22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Lava Point Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Recreation Area 26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hurricane Mesa?
What time is golden hour at Hurricane Mesa?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hurricane Mesa?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hurricane Mesa?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hurricane Mesa?
How far is Hurricane Mesa from LaVerkin?
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.