Bronson Caves — a cave in Los Angeles County, California at about 210 m (689 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hollywood, about 2.8 km (1.7 mi) away (Bronson Caves lies NNE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bronson Caves 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 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 61° ENE | 8:09 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:56 AM | 118° ESE | 4:48 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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Bronson Caves, 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 | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:51 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:47 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:12 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:25 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.83 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 cave
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bronson Caves, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain Pass
Canyon
State Park
Canyon
Canyon
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bronson Caves?
What time is golden hour at Bronson Caves?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bronson Caves?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bronson Caves?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bronson Caves?
How far is Bronson Caves from Hollywood?
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.