Sun Valley is a city of about 19,299 people in Washoe County, Nevada, at 1,440 m (4,724 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 PM – 6:31 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 | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 23m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sun Valley
At Sun Valley the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sun Valley
79 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sun Valley. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Beaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sun Valley is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lovelock Cave, about 112 km (69 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovelock Cave | Cave | 112 km (69 mi) | 1 |
| Sand Mountain | Mountain Peak | 123 km (76 mi) | 1 |
| Vernon | Ghost Town | 125 km (78 mi) | 1 |
| Tunnel Camp | Ghost Town | 127 km (79 mi) | 1 |
| Rawhide | Ghost Town | 135 km (84 mi) | 1 |
| White Cloud City | Ghost Town | 136 km (85 mi) | 1 |
| Eagleville | Ghost Town | 136 km (85 mi) | 1 |
| Fairview | Ghost Town | 140 km (87 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 18° |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 21° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 3:46 AM | 3.5 | 22° |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| August | 9:37 PM – 11:57 PM | 2.3 | 21° |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 18° |
| 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 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.