Bommer Canyon is a canyon in Orange County, California. The nearest town is Turtle Rock, about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) away (Bommer Canyon lies S of town).
Bommer Canyon is an open space preserve in southern Irvine, California featuring hiking and biking trails as well as private event areas. The canyon is part of the Irvine Ranch, which itself is a National Natural Landmark, the first California Natural Landmark, and part of the City of Irvine Open Space Preserve. The preserve is adjacent to the affluent Irvine villages of Shady Canyon and Turtle Ridge and features roughly 4,000 acres of preserved open space. Approximately 15 of these acres are preserved as a "Cattle Camp" named for the area's previous cattle operations and are now rented for private events such as campouts, company picnics, and family reunions. The trails in Bommer Canyon feature groves of oak and sycamore trees as well as rough rock outcrops and are popular with area residents who use them for nature walks, hiking and mountain biking.From the Wikipedia article “Bommer Canyon”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bommer Canyon 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 | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 61° ENE | 8:05 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 55m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:58 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Bommer Canyon, 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 | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:32 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:40 AM – 4:50 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:12 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:20 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:23 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 18.06 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 canyon
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bommer Canyon, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
Natural Arch
State Park
Lighthouse
Canyon
CanyonNatural ArchFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bommer Canyon?
What time is golden hour at Bommer Canyon?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bommer Canyon?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bommer Canyon?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bommer Canyon?
How far is Bommer Canyon from Turtle Rock?
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.