Deseret Peak Wilderness is a wilderness area in Tooele County, Utah. The nearest town is Grantsville, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Deseret Peak Wilderness lies WSW of town).
The Deseret Peak Wilderness is located in the Stansbury Mountains of Tooele County, Utah, United States near the towns of Tooele and Grantsville, not far from the Great Salt Lake. It is part of the Wasatch-Cache (of late the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache) National Forest. This semi-arid wilderness is part of the Great Basin ecosystem. Elevations range from about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) to the top of Deseret Peak's limestone escarpment at 11,031 feet (3,362 m). In this high country, with barren Skull Valley to the west, you'll find some springs and intermittent creeks, despite the general dryness of the area.From the Wikipedia article “Deseret Peak Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Deseret Peak 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) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 58° ENE | 9:05 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 121° ESE | 5:08 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Deseret Peak 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 | 5:48 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:59 AM – 6:09 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:09 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:14 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 8:23 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 ≈ 21.49 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
- 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.
- 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 Deseret Peak Wilderness, closest first.
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
National ForestCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Loop Campground (Ut)11.2 km (7.0 mi) · reservable
- Lower Narrows Campground12.3 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Upper Narrows12.3 km (7.7 mi) · reservable
- Boy Scout13.4 km (8.3 mi) · reservable
- Intake Campground14.1 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Deseret Peak Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at Deseret Peak Wilderness?
Where does the sun rise and set at Deseret Peak Wilderness?
Can you see the Milky Way from Deseret Peak Wilderness?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Deseret Peak Wilderness?
How far is Deseret Peak 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.