Mesa Arch (also known as Rotary Arch and Trail Arch) is a pothole arch on the eastern edge of the Island in the Sky mesa in Canyonlands National Park in northern San Juan County, Utah, United States.[3][4][5] Mesa Arch is a spectacular natural stone arch perched at the edge of a cliff with vast views of canyons, Monster Tower, Washer Woman Arch, Airport Tower, and the La Sal Mountains in the distance. Access is via a relatively easy hiking trail, just a half-mile long from the park road.

– Wikipedia

If you want to experience the glory of this place, I would suggest you go there during the sunrise. You can park your car at the Mesa Arch parking lot; it is a small parking lot, so I suggest you come early to find a parking spot. It’s also a relatively easy trail to hike at just a half-mile (0.8 km) long. It should not take more than a 15-20 minute walk to get to this location.

Sunrise is a prevalent time for the photographers at this iconic location. The sun rises at a distance behind Mesa Arch, and photographers catch its first rays at the horizon or beneath the arch.

Since Mesa Arch is one of the iconic and most popular photography spots in Canyonland National Park, it is always crowded during the sunrise. I have noticed that there are only a handful of spots to set up your tripod for the magical moment. I would say the prime areas are limited to 8-9 photographers with their tripods. So, I would recommend you plan your trip so that you get to the location at least half-hour to an hour before sunrise to claim your prime spot. Don’t get me wrong, but if you are a little late, you would be setting up your tripod and camera behind other photographers, and you won’t get a clear view unless one of the prime spots is available. Other photographers are very courteous and reasonable; they give away their spot to others waiting behind them once they get their planned shot. So, please be patient and give everyone a chance to get their photos.

On March-end of 2021, our very first trip to Moab, Utah, and I was an hour early to this spot. Luckily I got one of the prime spots; I was in the middle of the first row. But, when we visited the second time during the same trip, we were a little late. And, I had to settle down at one of the corners. Don’t get demotivated if you don’t catch the dawn or don’t get the prime spot; you can still get fantastic shots after other photographers leave. The sun continues to illuminate the underside of the arch for several hours after sunrise. And, you can’t go wrong in composing your shots at this location.

  • Using Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8
  • Photographed from extreme left corner
  • Photographed from right side
  • Taken with Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 after other photographers have departed

I highly recommend you to experience the place by walking around the location. You will get a lot of different perspectives and views. Enjoy yourself at this natural wonder, and also enjoy the sunshine.

Here are my gears and the camera setup for the epic sunburst shots:

It was dark when I got there, so I was using my Nitecore headlamp to navigate the trails to set up my camera. I had my trusted Nikon D750 camera on a leveled tripod. I went with my super-fast Nikon 20mm wide-angle lens for that iconic sunburst shots.

Here are my settings:

  • Aperture: f/16 (to get that crisp sunburst)
  • ISO 100
  • Shutter Speed: 1/50s

Here is the pin to the location: https://goo.gl/maps/qBdT8M3V6DkYCobG8

Tips

  • Sunrise is the best time to visit the location
  • 15-20 minutes an easy hike to the location
  • Arrive one hour before the sunrise time
  • Spring, Fall, and Winter could be cold, windy, and freezing, so keep yourself warm
  • Keep blower handy in case of windy conditions
  • Move around the location
  • Don’t shy away to use your telephoto lens to get some detailed shots
  • Be courteous and humble

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