Located in Garfield County, Utah, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 98 km (61 mi) N of Page.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (also known as Escalante State Park) is a state park in Utah, United States, located 0.8 km north of Escalante. The park features a high mesa that was once an ancient floodplain. Approximately 135 to 155 million years ago, large trees were buried in mud during floods. Groundwater eventually replaced the organic material with silica, preserving the wood as fossils through permineralization. Erosion has exposed these petrified logs, which were prized by hobbyists before the park's establishment. The logs are believed to be from conifers transported by a river before being buried and fossilized as agate. The varied colors of the petrified wood are due to different minerals absorbed during petrification. Iron oxides contribute to the orange, red, and yellow hues, while manganese oxides create blues, blacks, and purples.From the Wikipedia article “Escalante Petrified Forest State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Escalante Petrified Forest State Park 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 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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:06 AM | 59° ENE | 8:53 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 120° ESE | 5:12 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:32 AM – 6:02 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 5:16 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 2:39 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:39 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:35 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:38 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.94 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 February as the cloudiest (54%). 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 | 65 | 69 | 80 | 87 | 98 | 103 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 90 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 15 | 21 | 26 | 37 | 54 | 50 | 32 | 16 | 13 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
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
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Wilderness AreaNatural Arch
Natural Arch
Waterfall
WaterfallNatural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Posey Lake Campground18.0 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Barker Recreation Area22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cowpuncher Guard Station24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Deer Creek Campground25 km (16 mi)
- Pine Lake Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
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Where does the sun rise and set at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park?
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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.