Cedar Mountain Wilderness — a wilderness area in Tooele County, Utah — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 41 km (25 mi) W of Grantsville.
The Cedar Mountain Wilderness is located in northwestern Utah, United States, just south of Interstate 80. The vegetation on the upper elevations of the Cedar Mountains is dominated by junipers (referred to as "cedars" by early pioneers). The foothill and valley regions include mixed desert shrubs. Cheatgrass is prevalent over large areas burned by range fires. The remains of an aragonite mining camp can also be found in the foothills. The Cedar Mountain Wilderness includes more than half of the 180,000 acres (730 km2) Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area, where feral horses have grazed since they were introduced in the late 19th century. A survey conducted in December 1991 counted 444 horses, and parts of the herd can often be seen on the wilderness. The Bureau of Land Management fills watering troughs for the horses when springs dry up in the summer. This artificial water supply...From the Wikipedia article “Cedar Mountain Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cedar Mountain Wilderness 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 58° ENE | 9:07 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 121° ESE | 5:09 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Cedar Mountain Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:49 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:00 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 2:31 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.65 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 wilderness area
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Cedar Mountain Wilderness, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cedar Mountain Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cedar Mountain Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cedar Mountain Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cedar Mountain Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cedar Mountain Wilderness?
How far is Cedar Mountain Wilderness from Grantsville?
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.