How to photograph the sunrise at Mesa Arch In Canyonlands National Park

Sunrise In Utah

I had the pleasure of watching the sunrise at Mesa Arch In Canyonlands National Park, Utah this morning. This was part of my 3 week long trip visiting the 5 National Parks in Utah. This was my 10th day and 3rd National Park of the trip.

It was an early start for me to get down there in time for the sunrise. I stayed in a hotel in Moab the night before. To get to Mesa Arch from Moab takes about an hour by car and then a 10 minute walk from the trailhead so I would advise to leave plenty of time to get there. In my case, I left at 4am for a 6:07am sunrise.

When I got there around 5am, there was already 5 photographers waiting, and a lot more arrived as we got closer to sunrise. In total, there were about 20 other photographers near the arch, all trying to get the same shot, which made it a bit crowded, but everyone was respectful of each other, and I think we all walk away happy.

The best time of the year to photograph sunrise at Mesa Arch is the period from May to September. That is when the sun is right in front of Mesa Arch, lighting it up from beneath. Make sure to visit on a clear morning with little to no clouds.

The weather forecast wasn’t looking perfect with patches of cloud, and I nearly didn't bother going as the day before was completely overcast with no sunrise at all. But I'm glad I made the effort though, it was well worth it. The sun cleared the low-lying bank of clouds on the horizon and lit up the arch for about 15 minutes. I do recommend staying after sunrise as the crowds cleared and I got some of my favourite photographs of the trip.