Located in San Diego County, California, Del Dios Gorge is a canyon at about 98 m (322 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Rancho Santa Fe, about 7.2 km (4.5 mi) away (Del Dios Gorge lies ENE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Del Dios Gorge 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 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 118° ESE | 4:46 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 58m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 59m |
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 Del Dios Gorge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:26 AM – 4:46 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:27 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:20 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.8 | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.09 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.
- 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 Del Dios Gorge, closest first.
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Botanical Garden
State Park
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Del Dios Gorge?
What time is golden hour at Del Dios Gorge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Del Dios Gorge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Del Dios Gorge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Del Dios Gorge?
How far is Del Dios Gorge from Rancho Santa Fe?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.