Merrimac Butte — 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 19.0 km (11.8 mi) away (Merrimac Butte lies WNW of town).
Merrimac Butte is a 5,627-foot (1,715-metre) sandstone summit located in Grand County, Utah, United States, about 12 miles northwest of the town of Moab. Merrimac Butte is a thin, 200–600-foot-wide and 1,600-foot-long east-to-west butte with 200-foot-tall vertical Entrada Sandstone walls overlaying a Carmel Formation base. Monitor Butte is situated immediately east of Merrimac Butte. The two buttes were named after the Monitor and Merrimack, two ironclad steamships known for clashing during the American Civil War. They can be seen from Highway 313 after it climbs out of Sevenmile Canyon en route to the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park or Dead Horse Point State Park.From the Wikipedia article “Merrimac Butte”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Merrimac 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 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) | 5:55 AM | 59° ENE | 8:48 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 120° ESE | 5:02 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Merrimac 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 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 | 5:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:30 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 ≈ 21.9 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Merrimac Butte, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Rock FormationNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Courthouse Rock Campground6.3 km (3.9 mi) · reservable
- Lone Mesa Group Sites6.8 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Horsethief Group Sites11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- 11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Horsethief Campground11.1 km (6.9 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Merrimac Butte?
What time is golden hour at Merrimac Butte?
Where does the sun rise and set at Merrimac Butte?
Can you see the Milky Way from Merrimac Butte?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Merrimac Butte?
How far is Merrimac Butte 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.