OUR TOP 3 RECOMMENDED TOURS FOR AUGUST

# 1 - Zion half-day sunset tour

The monsoon brings dramatic and active skies. Dark clouds, puffy clouds, blue sky, red rock… rainbows? Yep, solid possibility. This is the best season for dramatic light at sunset. Clouds move quickly, with light and shadow painting the landscape right before your eyes. The light that we get at sunset during this time of the year is the stuff that every photographer wants.

#2 - Bryce night photography tour

The night skies in Bryce are considered to be some of the darkest in the lower 48. These dark skies offer a mesmerizing, almost 3 dimensional visual experience of the universe surrounding us. The positioning of the Milky Way over the bizarre and colorful features of Bryce National Park makes for excellent photography opportunities during the months of August and September. During these months, the Milky Way is high in the sky, allowing us to incorporate specific features in the park along with the Milky Way into our images.

#3 - Zion night photography tour

August is a great month to be shooting the night skies is Zion! The Milky Way sits above some of Zion’s most iconic cliff formations which are receiving illumination from the nearby town of Springdale. The ambient light from town hits the cliffs, exposing them perfectly to showcase the detail and color in the cliffs with a glorious and explosive Milky Way lingering right on top of them. It’s not quite enough light to “pollute” the night sky, but just enough to see detail in the cliff features.  

Useful information from a locals perspective if you’re visiting in the month of August

August is smack in the middle of monsoon season. Monsoon for a full month… oh ya. Mornings start off totally clear, and towards noon, puffy white clouds begin to form. As the day progresses clouds grow in size and develop into powerful thunderstorms. These storms are typically very isolated, hard to predict, and drop intense rain quickly.

Photographically, these storm systems provide ideal conditions for the potential of very dramatic sunsets. And because storms clear out after sunset, we’re ready to roll for Milky Way photography in Zion.

WEATHER

Zion National Park average high/low temperature: 98/68

Bryce National Park average high/low temperature: 76/45