Yucca Valley is a city of about 21,600 people in San Bernardino County, California, at 1,027 m (3,369 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:56 AM and sets at 6:07 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:33 PM – 6:22 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 | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Yucca Valley
At Yucca Valley the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Yucca Valley
55 photo locations lie within 80 km of Yucca Valley. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Yucca Valley is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Clipper Mountain Wilderness, about 116 km (72 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Old Woman Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 120 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Kelso | Ghost Town | 123 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Essex | Ghost Town | 129 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Aikens Arch | Natural Arch | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Cima | Ghost Town | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Goffs | Ghost Town | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 163 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:24 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:38 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:18 PM – 10:18 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (39%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

