Desert Hot Springs is a city of about 28,335 people in Riverside County, California, at 328 m (1,076 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:56 AM and sets at 6:07 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:33 PM – 6:23 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 | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Desert Hot Springs
At Desert Hot Springs 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 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Desert Hot Springs
58 photo locations lie within 80 km of Desert Hot Springs. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Desert Hot Springs is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Clipper Mountain Wilderness, about 132 km (82 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Old Woman Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 133 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Kelso | Ghost Town | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Essex | Ghost Town | 144 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Aikens Arch | Natural Arch | 158 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Cima | Ghost Town | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Goffs | Ghost Town | 170 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:24 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:38 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 15% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (41%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.