Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park is a botanical garden in Los Angeles County, California. The nearest town is Altadena, about 1.2 km (0.7 mi) away (Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park lies N of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park, also known as Farnsworth Park, is a Los Angeles County park and National Register of Historic Places district (site #97000027) in Altadena, California. The land was purchased by Los Angeles County in 1921 for use as a nursery. When the County built new nurseries in the 1930s, a movement to turn the land into a county park was spearheaded by General Charles S. Farnsworth and William O. Davies. Farnsworth designed the park and supervised its grading and landscaping. Davies began planning for a community center. Funds for the construction of the community center came from grants from the Public Works Administration. The park was completed in 1934. The park was originally named Altadena Park. The park project included a two-story arts and crafts American craftsman style building that was later christened the William D. Davies Memorial Building....From the Wikipedia article “Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park 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) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:08 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 118° ESE | 4:47 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 | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 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 Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park, 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 8 (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 | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:52 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:26 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:23 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.11 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
- 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 Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park, closest first.
Canyon
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Coulter Group Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Meadow Group Campground17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Chilao Campground - Little Pines Loop17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
- Lightning Point Group Campground19.6 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Bandido Group Campground19.8 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park?
What time is golden hour at Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Gen. Charles S. Farnsworth County Park?
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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.