Lake Elsinore is a city of about 61,981 people in Riverside County, California, at 395 m (1,296 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:59 AM and sets at 6:11 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 PM – 6:26 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 | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Lake Elsinore
At Lake Elsinore 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 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Lake Elsinore
121 photo locations lie within 80 km of Lake Elsinore. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Lake Elsinore is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mud Caves, about 134 km (83 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mud Caves | Cave | 134 km (83 mi) | 3 |
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 139 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Sea | Lake | 143 km (89 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 144 km (90 mi) | 3 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 148 km (92 mi) | 3 |
| Lavic Lake volcanic field | Volcano | 148 km (92 mi) | 3 |
| Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 154 km (96 mi) | 3 |
| Devils Canyon | Canyon | 155 km (96 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:38 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:40 PM – 4:10 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:46 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:21 PM – 10:21 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.7 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
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.