Temple of the Sun
Cathedral Valley, UT
Temple of the sun
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF TEMPLE OF THE SUN
Southeast Utah offers some of the most unusual topography found anywhere in the American Southwest, with colorful buttes, abstracts, striations, and unlimited sandstone formations.
Near Caineville, Utah, you will find the Cathedral Valley, which is home to some of the most impressive sandstone monoliths you will ever find. The most famous monoliths are a pair of towering spiers named the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon (only about 500 yards apart). Each comprises a deep red sandstone that glows at sunrise and sunset.
Like many beautiful formations in the southwest, this one is in the middle of nowhere and is not easy (but doable with a high-clearance vehicle) to get to. When in this area, do yourself a favor, get up early, and drive this 17-mile dirt road to witness this wonderful sunrise.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH TEMPLE OF THE SUN SUMMARY
I rate the difficulty of this trail as a 3 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The walk to the location of the shot is an easy 20 ft from the parking area. However, the 17.5-mile drive on the dirt road to get to the location is bumpy, sandy, and has plenty of slick rock and holes. I would not drive a car to this location and suggest a high clearance vehicle, if possible, a high clearance 4x4 vehicle - as there are several places where you drive through sand (sometimes a bit deep).
This location can be photographed at either sunrise or sunset (I much prefer sunrise for the angle of the formation and the sidelight from the first light of the day). The area in this location is filled with many different compositions for shooting the Sun and the Moon formations (only about 500 yards apart). This location provides a nice view of both formations (Temple of the Moon is the small formation in the lower left of the image above).
The shot above is a simple composition where you stand just to the right (west) of the glass mountain (10ft high mound of gypsum crystals) just off of a dirt turnaround and wait for the Sun to hit the Temple of the Sun.
The Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon are similar in size. I wanted to include both formations in my image but wanted to make the Temple of the Sun appear much larger. For this reason, I used a 43mm lens to create this effect.
xxx Ft. Elevation
Other Resources Available with Membership
KMZ Trail File
Directions
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Best Time of Year to Shoot
Equipment Needed
Permits Required
Direction of Shot
Google Maps Birds-Eye-View
Number of Photographers to Expect
Cell Service
Overnight Lodging/Camping
Nearby Restaurants
Area Guides and Workshops
Other Resources
LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
