Located in Duchesne County, Utah, High Uintas Wilderness is a wilderness area. It is part of Wasatch–Cache National Forest. It sits roughly 59 km (37 mi) SSW of Mountain View.
The High Uintas Wilderness is a wilderness area located in northeastern Utah, United States. The wilderness covers the Uinta Mountains, encompassing parts of Duchesne and Summit counties. Designated as a wilderness in 1984, the area is located within parts of Ashley National Forest and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The highest peak in Utah, Kings Peak, lies within the wilderness area along with some of Utah's highest peaks, particularly those over 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). Mirror Lake Highway is closed in the winter, usually opening annually near Memorial Day. Winter access is allowed for snowmobiling (though snowmobiling is not allowed within the Wilderness Area), cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.From the Wikipedia article “High Uintas Wilderness”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At High Uintas 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) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 58° ENE | 8:57 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 121° ESE | 4:58 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 16m |
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 High Uintas 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 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:50 AM – 6:00 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:50 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:46 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:14 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: 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 ≈ 21.78 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 38% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 45 | 51 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 88 | 93 | 90 | 85 | 76 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -28 | -35 | -20 | -2 | 2 | 20 | 32 | 28 | 16 | -2 | -15 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 |
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
- 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.
- Pack weight matters: a single zoom and a light tripod cover most situations.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 High Uintas Wilderness, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Moon Lake Guard Station 20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Moon Lake Group Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Moon Lake Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- China Meadows Trailhead Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- China Meadows Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph High Uintas Wilderness?
What time is golden hour at High Uintas Wilderness?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at High Uintas Wilderness?
How far is High Uintas Wilderness from Mountain View?
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.