Sunrise, Sunset & Stargazing Guide: Canyon Junction Bridge, Towers of the Virgin & Dark Skies

Because the main Zion Canyon is a 600-metre-deep north-to-south trench, sunlight behaves differently here than in open parks: at dawn and dusk, the canyon floor is in cool shadow while the upper 300 metres of sandstone peaks catch fiery orange and pink light. Knowing which wall faces east (for sunrise) and which wall faces west (for sunset) is the key to photography in Zion.

1. The 2 Best Sunrise Spots in Zion

• #1 For Photographers, Behind the Zion Human History Museum (Facing 'Towers of the Virgin'): drive, walk or cycle 1.5 kilometres north of the Visitor Center to the open meadow behind the Human History Museum 20 minutes before official sunrise. As the sun crests the eastern rim, the upper peaks of the West Temple (2,380m), the Sundial and the blood-red streak of the Altar of Sacrifice ignite from the top down in glowing orange alpenglow.
• #2 For High-Angle Sunrise, Canyon Overlook Trail (East Side): park right outside the east portal of the tunnel at dawn and walk 20 minutes out to the overlook as morning light fills the Pine Creek chasm.

2. The Best Sunset Spots (Facing West-Facing Cliffs)

1. The Watchman from 'Pa'rus Trail Bridges' and Canyon Junction (Classic Postcard View): for decades, photographers crowded onto the narrow vehicle lane of the Canyon Junction Bridge; for safety, standing on the road bridge itself is now restricted, but walking just 5 minutes south along the car-free Pa'rus Trail riverbanks and footbridges gives you the exact same foreground of the cascading Virgin River and yellow cottonwoods framing The Watchman glowing fiery red at sunset.
2. Hiking the Watchman Trail or Timber Creek Overlook (Kolob Canyons).

3. Stargazing in an Official 'International Dark Sky Park'

Certified by DarkSky International in 2021 (with neighbouring Springdale also installing downward-shielded dark-sky streetlights), Zion offers effortless places to stargaze without needing a shuttle bus at night: walk out onto the car-free Pa'rus Trail from the Visitor Center car park with a red-light headtorch, or drive 20 minutes up Highway 9 East to the high, open pull-outs at Checkerboard Mesa (2,000m elevation) where the entire dome of the Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon.