Located in Humboldt County, California, Humboldt Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 3.3 km (2.1 mi) SSW of Humboldt Hill.
The Humboldt Botanical Garden is a 44.5 acres (18 ha) botanical garden located four miles south of Eureka, California, United States. The Garden is near the South Bay portion of Humboldt Bay on the north side of the College of the Redwoods. Grading and site preparation began in August 2003. Featuring views of Humboldt Bay and the Pacific Ocean, the garden opened in 2006, with more development completed by 2008. The Humboldt Botanical Garden (HBG) business office is located in downtown Eureka and is operated by the nonprofit Humboldt Botanical Garden Foundation which had over 1000 members in 2020 growing to 1667 members in 2025. HBG is a member of the American Public Gardens Association, the American Rhododendron Society, and the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission program.From the Wikipedia article “Humboldt Botanical Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Humboldt Botanical Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 58° ENE | 8:52 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 121° ESE | 4:53 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Humboldt Botanical Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.4 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 61% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (78%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 72 | 78 | 82 | 76 | 75 | 88 | 79 | 67 | 62 |
| Low °F | 35 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 47 | 49 | 51 | 48 | 44 | 39 | 35 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 5.6 | 10.8 |
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
- 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.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Humboldt Botanical Gardens, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Sand Dunes
Natural ArchFAQ
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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.