Located in Los Angeles County, California, California State University Northridge Botanic Garden is a botanical garden. The nearest town is Northridge, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (California State University Northridge Botanic Garden lies NE of town).
The California State University Northridge Botanic Garden or CSUN Botanic Garden is located in the northern San Fernando Valley, in the southeast section ("quadrant") of the California State University, Northridge campus in the community of Northridge in Los Angeles, California. The 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) site includes a 1-acre (0.40 ha) botanical garden and approximately .5-acre (0.20 ha) of nursery, shadehouse, and greenhouse zones. The botanic gardens were established shortly after the campus was established in 1959, as a Valley branch of California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). It has grown through the administrations of succeeding San Fernando Valley State College and the present day CSUN Biology Department.From the Wikipedia article “California State University Northridge Botanic Garden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At California State University Northridge Botanic Garden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:10 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:57 AM | 118° ESE | 4:49 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From California State University Northridge Botanic Garden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:53 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:29 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:14 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:27 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.97 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 80 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 109 | 110 | 107 | 112 | 101 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 50 | 51 | 43 | 35 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of California State University Northridge Botanic Garden, closest first.
Botanical Garden
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
CanyonFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.