Where to Do Milky Way Photography in Arizona
Lee’s Ferry, Arizona, is a part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and home to some of the Darkest Skies in the lower forty-eight. It is one of our Top Ten Milky Way Photography Locations.
Lees Ferry is a site on the Colorado River in Coconino County, Arizona, in the United States, about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) southwest of Page and 9 miles (14 km) south of the Utah–Arizona border.
It’s best known as a launch point for rafting and canoeing trips down the river, but there’s much more to this little town than meets the eye. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the history of Lee’s Ferry and some of the things that make it such a special place.
Photography at Lee’s Ferry, Arizona
If you’re looking for fantastic photography opportunities, Lee’s Ferry, Arizona, is the perfect spot! With its stunning red rock cliffs and beautiful Colorado River views, there’s no shortage of breathtaking scenery to capture.
Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or a complete novice, you’ll be able to find plenty of photo ops at Lee’s Ferry. So grab your camera and get ready for some incredible shots!
Milky Way Photography
One of the best places in the country to photograph the Milky Way is Lee’s Ferry. The clear, dark skies and lack of light pollution make for incredible images of our galaxy.
If you’re new to night photography, don’t worry—we’ve covered everything. Below, we will teach you everything you need to know about capturing the Milky Way. You’ll learn about camera settings, composition, and all the basics.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your camera and join us for an unforgettable night under the stars!
Attention, All Milky Way Photographers
Lee’s Ferry Lodge
For the Rustic Milky Way Adventure of a Lifetime! We almost want to keep this location to ourselves, but we are not in that business. We travel, share and explore just for you. We are showing you this image of Lee’s Ferry Lodge so you can see the Milky Way screaming bright in front of your hotel room, even in front of the lights. This location is so good for Milky Way photography that we are returning to get it just right. We run a photo tour based out of this location, emphasizing Milky Way photography.
Check out our daytime photography article, and you will see why Lee’s Ferry is such an incredible location for photography.
This is one of the best spots in the country to do Milky Way Photography. When we scouted the area, there was construction on the road. We are going back to get more insanely great milky way images, and we run a photo tour here.
Lee’s Ferry, Arizona Photography Hot Spot Location
Not just for night photography! This is also an insanely cool daytime photography location and a great place for the whole family to experience.
How to Shoot Milky Way & What You Need
Light pollution map
Check out a Light pollution map before you pick your dark sky location where the milky way is visible.
Camera
You will need a camera to control your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture manually.
Lens
A fast wide-angle lens of 1.4 – 2.8 is ideal. If you use a 3.5 or higher (slower lens), you must increase the ISO. The higher the ISO, the more grain or digital noise or grain in your photos.
Tripod
A good sturdy tripod is essential for night photography. If it gets windy, you will need a sturdy one. Remember that when you buy one, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the wind but small enough to fit in your suitcase.
Sky Map
Sky Guide is available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. It has a 5 out of 5-star rating on both the current (3.2) version (1200+ ratings) and all previous versions (8600+ ratings).
Flashlight
Our choice is Coast brand for flashlights. The ideal flashlight will have high lumens, and you can zoom in and out on the light emitting from the flashlight. Get the HP7, PX45, or the G50. Ideally, go with the HP7.
Moon Phaze Map
The best time to go is during a new moon; you want to be in the darkest area possible. The week before the new moon, when the moon has not risen, is a perfect time to go, so check the moonrise chart to see when the moon will be up.
Remote Shutter Release
When painting with light and you want to go over a 30-second exposure, you must have a shutter release to use your bulb mode. You can use the remote release or your camera’s built-in two-second timer when exposing your pictures.
How to Focus
Use live view. Use your camera’s live view to focus in the dark, hit the zoom button, and focus on a bright star. You can also use the infinity setting on your lens but do several test shots to determine accuracy. It can be off a little on some lenses. You can also light it up with a flashlight, focus, then gently, without touching the focus ring, put the camera in manual focus so it will not search for the focus. You must do this each time you move your camera to take your next angel.
Camera Settings
ISO
Start with ISO 1600 – 3200. This is a common starting point, and you will adjust from here.
Shutter Speed
Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. We want crisp non-star trail images. Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, and Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.
Aperture
Depth of field isn’t critical in these shots, but letting the light into the camera is; therefore, you should shoot wide open. If the depth of field is essential to you, try not to go too high. (wide open =the lowest aperture your camera will allow). You will have to increase the ISO some, giving you digital noise.
White balance suggestion:
Use live view mode to change your white balance settings and see what it will look like. You can shoot in shade or cloud mode as a standard setting and adjust things later.
AREA
INFORMATION
Entrance Fees:
1-7 Day Vehicle Entrance – $25.00
Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers
1-7 Day Motorcycle Entrance – $20.00
Admits one single, private, non-commercial motorcycle and its riders.
1-7 Day Individual Entrance – $12.00
Admits one individual when entering on foot, or bicycle. Not to exceed $25 vehicle fee. Individuals 15 years of age and younger are admitted free.
1-7 Day Boating Entrance – $30.00
Admits one single private vessel
1-7 Day Boating Entrance additional vessel – $30.00
Admits one single private vessel on the same trailer as a vessel paying full entry fees
Entrance Passes:
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Annual Pass – $50.00
Allows unlimited entry to Glen Canyon for 12 months from the date of purchase.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Annual Vessel Sicker – $50.00
Allows unlimited entry to Glen Canyon for one vessel from Jan 1 – Dec 31.
Operating Hours
Find out when visitor centers and facilities are open. Launch ramps are open all day, year-round when the water level allows.
Fees & Passes
How much does it cost to get into the park and to camp here?
Webcams
Take a gander at those launch ramps before you get here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Glen Canyon National Recreation Area tick? Find out here!
Advisories
Information about regulations and important safety concerns.
Is that dirt road you want to explore passable today? Find out here.
Ranger Programs
Enjoy a ranger-led hike or talk. These programs are seasonal.
Permits & Reservations
Looking to do business in the park? Make sure you have all your papers in order.
Rainbow Bridge National Monument
Even though Rainbow Bridge is its own unit of the National Park Service, we take care of it from here at Glen Canyon. Find out more about this amazing site.
CAMPING
No reservations. $20 per site/per night. 54 designated sites. No hookups. RV dump station. Grills provided, no open fires. Quiet time 10 pm-6 am. Modern bathroom/comfort station, potable water available, launch ramp 2 miles. Gas and supply store at Marble Canyon, about 5 miles away.
Off Hwy 89A on the Lees Ferry road.
Add your campground here!
Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your campground to stay during their ghost-hunting trip? Put your campground information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number, and the information on your campground to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are good at getting there in the dark.
Would you like to be featured in an article as a place to stay while doing photography or ghost hunting? If so, please send us an email. You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.
FOOD & DINING
Add your restaurant here!
Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your restaurant after their ghost-hunting trip? Put your restaurant information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number, and the information on your restaurant to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you.
HOTELS
Lee’s Ferry, Arizona, Hotel Information:
Lee’s Ferry Lodge
Visit Lee’s Ferry Lodge Website
Call them at (928) 355-2231
Seven days a week to make a reservation
(Please call between 7 AM and 8 PM MST)
Room Capacity:
Single Rooms: 1 – 5 guests
Suites: 1 – 7 guests
Lees Ferry Lodge is located 120 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona, at the edge of the Vermilion Cliffs National Wilderness Area, on Hwy 89A, 3.5 miles west of the Navajo Bridge, which spans the Colorado River.
They’re just 10 miles from Lees Ferry, the entry point for Grand Canyon river trips. We are also one of the nearest hotels to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Lees Ferry offers incredible scenery, access to the Paria Wilderness Area, a launch ramp and walk-in fishing areas, as well as historic buildings and trails.
The Lodge’s location makes for easily accessible day-trip fishing entry point inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park.
WEATHER
Don’t forget that you can use a rain sleeve on your camera if it is raining. If it is bright and sunny, you want to use a low ISO such as 100.
If you are doing photography along with your ghost hunting on cloudy days, you can do running water or waterfall photography to avoid the glaring sun. You can also use an ND filter to get a long exposure for dramatic effects, even in the sunshine. If you ghost hunt indoors in abandoned places, be careful!
Other Places in Arizona to Do Photography
Photography Lessons
Photography, Lessons, Workshops and Classes.
Ghost Hunting
Photography Contests
