While the best results happen with more advanced cameras such as DSLRs, you don’t need one to capture the night sky in Arches National Park. Modern smartphones (4 years or newer) can be a fun way to dip your toe in Astrophotography, but be careful, this hobby can become addicting!

Our guides are passionate amateur photographers and have been pursuing the hobby for many years. With the time available, this instruction is for the beginner Astrophotographer. You’ll leave with the knowledge to start pursuing these starry sky images on your own. That being said our tours are not Master Class Workshops and don’t deep dive into everything an 8 hour course or multi-day photo tour would.

• Camera with manual controls (or smartphone)
• Wide angle lens. For best results wider that 24mm and as wide an Aperture as possible. You can rent lenses from us if needed.
• Tripod. We’re taking long exposure photos and the camera will need to be still for 10-30 seconds

You do NOT need a “timed entry” reservation to Arches for our tours. Since we are arriving after the timed entry period has ended (4PM) you are free to enter at any time. You do however need your general park entry pass in order to enjoy the park. We suggest getting one of these during your trip to Moab anyway, as visiting the park during the day is a must!

We absolutely will accommodate anyone with extra mobility needs. We can take you to Balance Rock and The Windows sections on a custom tour. Please contact us to get the planning started!

Since these tours are specifically for Astrophotography and stargazing, we need relatively clear skies!

If the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies we will depart and hope the clouds behave. Even with partly cloud covered skies we can still capture some great images and learn Astrophotography techniques. If that isn’t a risk you want to take then we suggest purchasing the optional travel insurance and you can cancel anytime 24 hours or before the tour departure and receive a full refund.

If the sky is full of heavy clouds or the weather becomes dangerous, we will try to work with you and reschedule your adventure, cancel your tour, or give you an option to cancel depending on the circumstances.

The Windows section is the easiest tour available, suitable for most any fitness level. It has very little distance and elevation gain.

Carona Arch is a more moderate trail. It has a gentle elevation gain of about 500 feet and includes a short, but steep climb with a chain railing.

Delicate Arch is rated as a difficult trail. It has an elevation gain of around 630 ft in the distance of 1 mile, but as we hike Delicate at night, we get to avoid the heat as well as the crowds, making it a very pleasant hike to do in the summer.

We try to provide a generous cancellation policy. We allow FULL refunds for any cancellations before 24 hours no questions asked. If the weather keeps us from departing on our adventure we will issue a FULL refund if we can’t reschedule.

If we decide to head out on our adventure, but for some reason the weather misbehaves and we get ZERO Astro photos, then we will issue a full refund as well.

We have thought about including tips in the price of our tours, but we think receiving personalized gratuity is a very important feedback tool for our guides.

Tipping is absolutely not required, but if your guide helped create a lasting memory or a highlight for your vacation, then a typical gratuity amount of 10-20% is greatly appreciated.