Apple Valley is a city of about 72,174 people in San Bernardino County, California, at 898 m (2,946 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:59 AM and sets at 6:09 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:35 PM – 6:25 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Apple Valley
At Apple Valley 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.
Best photo spots near Apple Valley
65 photo locations lie within 80 km of Apple Valley. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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State Park
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Apple Valley is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kelso, about 151 km (94 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelso | Ghost Town | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Ibex Dunes | Sand Dunes | 152 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Aikens Arch | Natural Arch | 155 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Dumont Dunes | Sand Dunes | 158 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 162 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Ibex Pass | Mountain Pass | 163 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Clipper Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Ballarat | Ghost Town | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:20 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (44%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.