Mesa Arch Sunrise Photography Guide

Mesa Arch at Canyonlands National Park is an iconic spot that brings photographers from all over the world to try to get their shot. There’s a lot to consider when trying to photograph Mesa Arch at sunrise. Below you’ll find everything you need to know including what to bring, best time to go, photography setting tips, and tips to avoid crowds.

What time should I get to Mesa Arch for sunrise?

This depends on the time of year! We would recommend 1 hour before sunrise if you want first choice at a spot. We went in January and sunrise at Mesa Arch was at 7:30 AM. We arrived at 6:30 AM and were the 2nd people there and had our pick of spots to set up our tripod. You may want to arrive even earlier if it’s summer.

How can I avoid crowds at Mesa Arch?

The short answer is you can’t avoid crowds, but if you want the most manageable crowds, we highly recommend winter as the best time to see and photography sunrise at Mesa Arch! It will be very cold, so you need to be prepared with layers, a warm jacket, gloves and a hat. However, winter will have far less crowds and a later sunrise meaning you can sleep in a bit and have more space to take the photo.

Is the hike to Mesa Arch hard?

No! The trail is only 0.7 miles round trip with minimal elevation; however, there are lots of rocks along the way and it can be difficult to navigate in the dark. We highly recommend a head lamp and downloading an offline trail map beforehand (we use AllTrails Pro for this).

What gear do I need?

• As mentioned previously, a head lamp to navigate the trail in the dark
• A tripod is necessary as your shutter speed will need to be slow to compensate for the low light
• Your widest angle lens in order to fit the whole arch in your photos
• Gloves, layers, and hand warmers during the winter

Photography Tips

• Set F stop to smaller aperture to create sun stars
• We recommend setting up tripod slightly to the right of the center of the Arch in the winter
• The crowds disperse 10-20 minutes after sunrise and you can still get sun stars and great photos with less people after this time!
• iPhone photos still look incredible here too!

Despite the cold temperatures, we had the best morning getting a bucket list shot and enjoying the sunrise. The morning light is stunning!