Box-Death Hollow Wilderness — a wilderness area in Garfield County, Utah — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Richfield, about 106 km (66 mi) away (Box-Death Hollow Wilderness lies SSE of town).
Box-Death Hollow Wilderness is a 25,751 acres (104 km2) wilderness area located in south-central Utah, United States, on the Dixie National Forest. Vertical gray-orange walls of Navajo sandstone stand above two canyon tributaries of the Escalante River in Box-Death Hollow. The name Death Hollow gives reference to a number of livestock that plunged to their death trying to cross the steep canyon.From the Wikipedia article “Box-Death Hollow Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Box-Death Hollow Wilderness 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) | 6:05 AM | 59° ENE | 8:53 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 48m |
| 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 | 5:11 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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
Wilderness areas reward those who camp: being on location at sunrise and in the dark is the main advantage over day visitors.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:13 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 48m |
| 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 | 8:30 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 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 | 7:36 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 08m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Box-Death Hollow Wilderness, 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 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:26 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 10:36 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 wilderness area
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Night skies are often among the darkest in the country.
- Motorized and mechanized equipment, including drones, is prohibited in designated wilderness.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Practice Leave No Trace — camp on durable surfaces away from lakes and streams.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Most high wilderness is snow-free from July to September; lower deserts are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Lightweight tripod, Spare batteries, Headlamp, Navigation. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Box-Death Hollow Wilderness, closest first.
State Park
National Forest
Waterfall
Natural Arch
State Park
Waterfall
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Posey Lake Campground7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Cowpuncher Guard Station12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Barker Recreation Area16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Deer Creek Campground25 km (15 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
How far is Box-Death Hollow Wilderness from Richfield?
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.