Temple of the Moon
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Temple of the Moon rises to 1,726 m in Utah. Thousand Lake Mountain stands 3,441 m to the west, 16 miles off. The nearest named place is Temple of the Sun, a peak 0.4 miles away. Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway passes 11 miles off.
The story
Temple of the Moon is a 5,665-foot (1,727-meter) elevation summit located in Capitol Reef National Park, in Wayne County of Utah, United States. This remote, iconic monolith is situated 12 mi (19 km) north-northeast of the park's visitor center, and 0.37 mi (0.60 km) south of Temple of the Sun, in the Middle Desert of the park's North (Cathedral Valley) District. Cathedral Valley was so named in 1945 by Charles Kelly, first superintendent of Capitol Reef National Monument, because the valley's sandstone monoliths reminded early explorers of ornate, Gothic cathedrals, with fluted walls, alcoves, and pinnacles. The free-standing Temple of the Moon towers nearly 300 feet (91 meters) above its surrounding terrain, which is within the Fremont River drainage basin. John C. Frémont's 1853 expedition passed through Cathedral Valley.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q49081846, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1726 m
How to reach it
- 10.7 mi off the Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway
- 15.3 mi off the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway
- 20.2 mi off the Fish Lake Scenic Byway
- 26.7 mi off the Bicentennial Highway
Overlooks nearby
- Mummy Cliff Lookout · 10 mi
- Navajo Knobs · 11 mi
- Chimney Rock Overlook · 11 mi
- Hickman Bridge Overlook · 11 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Temple of the Sun: 0.4 mi
- Jailhouse Rock: 3.4 mi
- Temple Rock: 3.8 mi
- Black Mountain: 4.5 mi
- Last Chance Butte: 4.6 mi
- Campers Spring: 1.3 mi
- Willow Seep: 7.1 mi
- Corral Canyon Spring: 7.1 mi
- Caine Springs: 10.0 mi
- Rock Springs: 11.2 mi
- The Walls of Jericho: 8.8 mi
- Mummy Cliff: 10.7 mi
- North Caineville Reef: 11.0 mi
- Caineville Reef: 12.0 mi
- Caineville Reef: 13.0 mi
- Glass Mountain: 0.6 mi
- Nels Johnson Natural Bridge: 11.0 mi
- Behunin Cabin: 11.4 mi
- Historic Gifford House: 11.6 mi
- Cathedral Valley Loop Tour (end): 11.9 mi
- Town Park: 15.9 mi
- Red Cliff Oasis: 16.0 mi
- Bicknell Town Park: 20.3 mi
- KE Bullock Waterfowl Management Area: 21.8 mi
- Renon's Corner: 21.8 mi
- Fremont River Waterfall: 11.0 mi
- Lower Waterfall: 11.6 mi
- Middle Waterfall: 11.8 mi
- Upper Waterfall: 11.8 mi
- Scorpion Falls: 19.8 mi
- Car Ruins: 8.4 mi
- Diversion Dam Ruins: 11.5 mi
- Bicknell Veterans and Heritage Memorial: 20.8 mi
- Miner's Cabin: 22.9 mi
- Loa Veteran's Memorial: 24.6 mi
- Scenic Drive Stop 11: 16.4 mi
- Scenic Drive Stop 9 Picnic Area: 16.4 mi
- Ivie Creek Rest Area: 24.6 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 20.8 miles of Temple of the Moon. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thousand Lake Mountain | W 263° | 3,441 m | 15.7 mi |
| Hens Hole Peak | W 281° | 3,309 m | 15.6 mi |
| Geyser Peak | WNW 288° | 3,223 m | 16.5 mi |
| Point Lookout | W 259° | 3,095 m | 13.9 mi |
| Solomon Point | WNW 298° | 2,905 m | 17.9 mi |
| The Ant Hill | WSW 247° | 2,834 m | 17.5 mi |
| Billings Point | W 269° | 2,821 m | 12.4 mi |
| Lion Mountain | SSW 203° | 2,698 m | 20.1 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:29 | 19:02 | 19:37 |
| June solstice | 06:02 | 20:13 | 20:53 |
| September equinox | 07:13 | 18:48 | 19:23 |
| December solstice | 07:39 | 16:26 | 17:08 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 30 | 35 | 43 | 49 | 58 | 69 | 74 | 72 | 64 | 52 | 39 | 29 |
| Precip in | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Torrey 7 E, 11 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Capitol Reef National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: May.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/356676347
Day trips start here
- Capitol Reef National Park · 17 mi
Take the scenic way to Temple of the Moon.
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