Cougar Canyon Wilderness — a wilderness area in Washington County, Utah — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Enterprise, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Cougar Canyon Wilderness lies WSW of town).
Cougar Canyon Wilderness is a 10,409-acre (42.1 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 Nevada in the northwestern corner of Washington County, it protects an area of hilly juniper-pinyon woodlands bordering the Dixie National Forest. Cougar Canyon Wilderness is located near Doc's Pass Wilderness on the south, separated by a small road, and is bordered by Slaughter Creek Wilderness on the east.From the Wikipedia article “Cougar Canyon Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cougar Canyon 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) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:16 AM | 59° ENE | 9:01 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 120° ESE | 5:22 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 34m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Cougar Canyon 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 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:41 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 5:24 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 4:33 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 4:13 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 12:47 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 10:44 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 8:47 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: 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 ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 21% 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 | 69 | 70 | 81 | 87 | 98 | 105 | 104 | 104 | 102 | 89 | 77 | 63 |
| Low °F | 0 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 27 | 37 | 53 | 49 | 33 | 18 | 13 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 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 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.
- 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 Cougar Canyon Wilderness, closest first.
Waterfall
State Park
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
State Park
Wilderness AreaFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cougar Canyon Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Cougar Canyon Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cougar Canyon Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cougar Canyon Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cougar Canyon Wilderness?
How far is Cougar Canyon Wilderness from Enterprise?
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.