South Lake Tahoe is a city of about 21,706 people in El Dorado County, California, at 1,901 m (6,237 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:32 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in South Lake Tahoe
At South Lake Tahoe the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near South Lake Tahoe
117 photo locations lie within 80 km of South Lake Tahoe. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central South Lake Tahoe is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Rawhide, about 138 km (86 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rawhide | Ghost Town | 138 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Sand Mountain | Mountain Peak | 143 km (89 mi) | 1 |
| Eagleville | Ghost Town | 147 km (92 mi) | 1 |
| Eagleville | Ghost Town | 150 km (93 mi) | 1 |
| Rawhide Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 155 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Fairview | Ghost Town | 159 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Lovelock Cave | Cave | 168 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Broken Hills | Ghost Town | 171 km (106 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.