Located in Washington County, Utah, Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. It sits roughly 8.9 km (5.5 mi) NNE of Washington.
Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness is a 11,712-acre (47.4 km2) wilderness area in the US state of Utah. It was designated March 30, 2009, as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. Located adjacent to the southern edge of the Dixie National Forest, it encompasses and protects a transition zone between the Colorado Plateau to the east and the Mojave Desert to the west. It is bordered by the Cottonwood Forest Wilderness to the northeast and is itself (along with Red Mountain Wilderness to its west) a part of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area.From the Wikipedia article “Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:15 AM | 59° ENE | 8:58 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 119° ESE | 5:21 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 37m |
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 Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:32 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:38 AM – 6:08 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:50 PM – 4:20 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:04 PM – 12:54 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 10:52 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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 ≈ 20.72 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (51%). 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 | 68 | 70 | 80 | 86 | 96 | 103 | 103 | 103 | 101 | 87 | 77 | 62 |
| Low °F | -3 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 26 | 37 | 52 | 48 | 32 | 16 | 10 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Group size limits and permits may apply; check with the managing agency.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Natural Arch
Ghost Town
State Park
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
State Park
State Park
CanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Red Cliffs Campground6.7 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Recreation Area 19.0 km (11.8 mi) · reservable
- Pine Valley Guard Station19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Baker Dam Campground 24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness?
How far is Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness from Washington?
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.