Paso Robles is a city of about 27,157 people in San Luis Obispo County, California, at 223 m (732 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:14 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:47 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Paso Robles
At Paso Robles the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Paso Robles
43 photo locations lie within 80 km of Paso Robles. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Paso Robles is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Light Station, about 54 km (33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedras Blancas Light Station | Lighthouse | 54 km (33 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 54 km (33 mi) | 2 |
| McDonald Canyon | Canyon | 30 km (19 mi) | 3 |
| Tucker Canyon | Canyon | 31 km (19 mi) | 3 |
| Slocum Canyon | Canyon | 31 km (19 mi) | 3 |
| Harmony Headlands State Park | State Park | 32 km (20 mi) | 3 |
| Gillis Canyon | Canyon | 33 km (20 mi) | 3 |
| Wilson Canyon | Canyon | 36 km (22 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 1:57 AM – 4:57 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:12 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:10 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:28 PM – 12:28 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:28 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.