Granite Bay is a city of about 20,402 people in Placer County, California, at 130 m (427 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:20 AM and sets at 6:21 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:44 PM – 6:37 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Granite Bay
At Granite Bay the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Granite Bay
43 photo locations lie within 80 km of Granite Bay. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Granite Bay is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Plumas National Forest, about 144 km (89 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumas National Forest | National Forest | 144 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Indian Falls | Waterfall | 145 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Caribou | Ghost Town | 146 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Leavitt Falls | Waterfall | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Silver Falls | Waterfall | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Cascade Falls | Waterfall | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Toiyabe National Forest | National Forest | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Indian Valley Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:40 AM | 5.2 | 22° |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.