Fullerton Arboretum is a botanical garden in Orange County, California. The nearest town is Placentia, about 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away (Fullerton Arboretum lies NW of town).
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton is a 26-acre (11 ha) botanical garden with a collection of plants from around the world, located on the northeast corner of the California State University, Fullerton campus in Fullerton, California, in the United States. It is the largest botanical garden in Orange County, California with a collection of over 4,000 plants. The Arboretum saves species that are extinct or near extinction and serves as a learning place for agricultural history. The Arboretum officially was created in 1976, and officially opened in 1979. The arboretum, which was originally a diseased orange grove, was transformed into organic gardening plots. A centerpiece of the Arboretum is the Heritage House, which was built in 1894 as the home and office of Fullerton's pioneer physician, Dr. George C. Clark. In 1972 the house was moved to what is now the middle...From the Wikipedia article “Fullerton Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fullerton Arboretum 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:06 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Fullerton Arboretum, 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 | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 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 ≈ 17.85 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August 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 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 35 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 38 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.3 |
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
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Fullerton Arboretum, closest first.
Hot Spring
Canyon
State Park
Canyon
Canyon
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fullerton Arboretum?
What time is golden hour at Fullerton Arboretum?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fullerton Arboretum?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fullerton Arboretum?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fullerton Arboretum?
How far is Fullerton Arboretum from Placentia?
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.