Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail — a scenic viewpoint 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. It sits roughly 14.3 km (8.9 mi) N of Moab.
From the National Park Service
Balanced Rock can be seen from the park road 9.2 miles (14.8 km) from Arches Visitor Center. View the feature from a viewpoint or hike the short trail around it. Climbing on Balanced Rock is prohibited. Roundtrip Distance : 0.3 mi (0.4 km) Time : 15-30 min Elevation Change : 35 ft (11 m) Difficulty : Easy Hike Description : This is a loop trail at the base of a picturesque rock formation. Part of the trail is paved. Accessibility : The beginning of the trail is flat and paved. It passes alongside Balanced Rock to a viewpoint of The Windows and the La Sal Mountains in the distance. The trail continuing around Balanced Rock has steps, slopes, and rocky, uneven surfaces. An accessible picnic area and toilet are located up a gravel road across from Balanced Rock. Dogs are not allowed on this trail. Service animals are allowed in national parks. What is a service animal?
One of the most iconic features in the park, Balanced Rock stands a staggering 128 feet (39 m) tall. While this formation may appear to be an epic balancing act, it’s actually not balanced at all. The top boulder of Entrada Sandstone sits attached to its eroding pedestal of Dewey Bridge mudstone. The exposure of these two rock strata layers are ideal for the formation of arches and balanced rocks. Balanced Rock defies gravity but this won’t always be the case. Eventually, the 3,600 ton (over 4 million kg) boulder will come tumbling down as the erosional process continues to shape the landscape. In the winter of 1975-76, Balanced Rock’s smaller sibling “Chip-Off-the-Ol'-Block” collapsed (view Then and Now photos), proving that there is no better time than the present to see this awe-inspiring giant. At sunset, Balanced Rock becomes saturated in a deep red-orange making it a great place to end a fun-filled day in the park. This is also an ideal place for stargazing and night photography . Its location is just far enough from the city lights of Moab, Utah and provides whimsical rocky spires in the foreground.
A picnic area is located across from Balanced Rock to the west down a gravel road. The picnic area offers multiple picnic tables, covered canopy, vault toilet, and spectacular views of Salt Valley. We encourage you to leave no trace by using trash/recycling bins in the picnic area. Feeding wildlife can be harmful and is prohibited in the park.
A cairn marks the
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail 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 | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 59° ENE | 8:47 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 120° ESE | 5:01 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 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 Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:53 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:29 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.86 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 scenic viewpoint
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
- Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
- Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, 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 Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail, closest first.
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural Arch
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural Arch
Rock FormationNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Devils Garden Campground8.6 km (5.3 mi) · reservable
- Upper Big Bend Campground8.9 km (5.5 mi)
- 8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- 9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Big Bend Group Sites9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail?
What time is golden hour at Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail?
Where does the sun rise and set at Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail?
Can you see the Milky Way from Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail?
How far is Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail from Moab?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.