Ridgecrest is a city of about 28,780 people in Kern County, California, at 698 m (2,290 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:02 AM and sets at 6:10 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:35 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 | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ridgecrest
At Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest
33 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ridgecrest. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Natural Arches
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ridgecrest is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Gold Point, about 195 km (121 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Point | Ghost Town | 195 km (121 mi) | 1 |
| Ballarat | Ghost Town | 62 km (39 mi) | 2 |
| Surprise Canyon | Canyon | 68 km (42 mi) | 2 |
| Darwin | Ghost Town | 72 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Panamint City | Ghost Town | 76 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Darwin Falls | Waterfall | 79 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Telescope Peak | Mountain Peak | 80 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Darwin Falls Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 80 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 11:49 PM – 3:59 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 9:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 13% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (42%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.