Paradise is a city of about 26,476 people in Butte County, California, at 542 m (1,778 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 6:21 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:44 PM – 6:38 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 | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 22m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Paradise
At Paradise the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
Best photo spots near Paradise
55 photo locations lie within 80 km of Paradise. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
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State ParkLakes
Covered Bridges
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Covered BridgeCanyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Paradise is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hot Springs, about 142 km (89 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 142 km (89 mi) | 1 |
| Young Falls | Waterfall | 145 km (90 mi) | 1 |
| Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park | State Park | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Timbered Crater | Volcano | 157 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Brushy Butte | Mountain Peak | 158 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Bassett Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 160 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Kellog Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 160 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Little Hot Spring | Hot Spring | 165 km (102 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 18° |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.5 | 21° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.8 | 21° |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.7 | 21° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.3 | 21° |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.3 | 18° |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.