Redding is a city of about 91,582 people in Shasta County, California, at 172 m (564 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:27 AM and sets at 6:23 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:46 PM – 6:40 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 | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Redding
At Redding 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Redding
70 photo locations lie within 80 km of Redding. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Scenic ViewpointWaterfalls
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Botanical Gardens
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Redding is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Russian Wilderness, about 93 km (58 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 93 km (58 mi) | 1 |
| Timbered Crater | Volcano | 100 km (62 mi) | 1 |
| Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park | State Park | 102 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Brushy Butte | Mountain Peak | 103 km (64 mi) | 1 |
| Young Falls | Waterfall | 104 km (64 mi) | 1 |
| Rainbow Mountain | Volcano | 105 km (65 mi) | 1 |
| Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 105 km (65 mi) | 1 |
| Little Hot Spring | Hot Spring | 109 km (68 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:38 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.3 | 21° |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.7 | 21° |
| July | 10:39 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.