Antelope Island State Park is a state park in Davis County, Utah. The nearest town is Syracuse, about 18.9 km (11.7 mi) away (Antelope Island State Park lies SW of town).
Antelope Island, with an area of 42 square miles (109 km2), is the largest of ten islands located within the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The island lies in the southeastern portion of the lake, near Salt Lake City and Davis County, and becomes a peninsula when the lake is at extremely low levels. It is protected as Antelope Island State Park. The first known non-natives to visit the island were John C. Frémont and Kit Carson during exploration of the Great Salt Lake in 1845, who "rode on horseback over salt from the thickness of a wafer to twelve inches" and "were informed by the Indians that there was an abundance of fresh water on it and plenty of antelope". It is said they shot a pronghorn antelope on the island, and in gratitude for the meat, they named it Antelope Island.From the Wikipedia article “Antelope Island”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Antelope Island State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 58° ENE | 9:05 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 121° ESE | 5:04 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:24 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Antelope Island State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:58 AM – 6:08 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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 ≈ 20.52 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 (64%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 74 | 84 | 95 | 99 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 87 | 71 | 56 |
| Low °F | -12 | 2 | 14 | 22 | 25 | 36 | 49 | 47 | 31 | 16 | 4 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
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 state park
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Antelope Island State Park, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Hot Spring
Botanical Garden
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Rock Formation
WaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Antelope Island State Park?
What time is golden hour at Antelope Island State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Antelope Island State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Antelope Island State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Antelope Island State Park?
How far is Antelope Island State Park from Syracuse?
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.